Latest African tobacco industry interference news
Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM)
Building Capacity in Industry Monitoring for Effective Tobacco Control Advocacy in Africa (BETA 3.0)’ course CALL FOR APPLICATIONS The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) at University of Pretoria in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is proud to announce a capacity-building training course on tobacco industry monitoring and […]
Le Centre Africain pour la Surveillance de l’industrie du Tabac et la Recherche sur les Politiques (ATIM)
LE PROJET “BUILDING CAPACITY IN INDUSTRY MONITORING FOR EFFECTIVE TOBACCO CONTROL ADVOCACY IN AFRICA (BETA 3.0)’ cours APPEL À CANDIDATURE Le Centre africain pour la surveillance de l’industrie du tabac et la recherche sur les politiques (ATIM) de l’Université de Pretoria, en collaboration avec la Fondation africaine pour le renforcement des capacités (ACBF), est fier […]
Inscrivez-vous au cours en ligne BETA dès aujourd’hui !!!
Le Centre africain pour la surveillance de l’industrie du tabac et la recherche sur les politiques (ATIM) de l’Université de Pretoria est fier d’annoncer un cours de formation en ligne sur la surveillance et la lutte contre l’industrie du tabac dans le cadre du projet Renforcer les capacités de surveillance de l’industrie pour des défenseurs […]
Enroll for the BETA Online Course Today!!!
The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) at the University of Pretoria is proud to announce an online capacity-building training course on tobacco industry monitoring and countering as part of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) funded project on ‘Building Capacity in Industry Monitoring for Effective Tobacco Control Advocates in Africa […]
ATIM trains Africa tobacco control advocates in Abidjan to strengthen capacity in industry monitoring for effective tobacco control policy advocacy
Tobacco remains a major cause of preventable death worldwide, with the burden of tobacco-related mortality increasingly falling on low- and middle-income countries, including those in the African region. Despite some progress in tracking tobacco industry activity in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a pressing need to protect tobacco control policy processes from Tobacco Industry Interference (TII). […]
Press Release: Citizens voice strong support for Tobacco Control Bill, countering Tobacco Industry objections
Public hearings on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill (B33-2022) hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health reflect strong support for the proposed new tobacco control legislation. Hearings concluded in Limpopo over the weekend, following hearings in North West Province earlier this month. Protect our Next partner organisations, representing diverse public health and […]
Tobacco Smoking Contributes to Food Insecurity: WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2023
Tobacco control advocates throughout the world have dedicated today, May 31, 2023, to commemorate World No Tobacco Day. An annual event aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use. This year’s theme is “We need food and not tobacco,” which emphasizes how tobacco farming and use robs food from individuals while it seeks to educate the […]
Early findings from an ongoing E-cigarette study suggest the urgent need to close the regulatory gap in advertisement and marketing to youth
The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) has released early data from an online survey of young adults aged 18 to 34 conducted in 2021 and trends in purchase channels and sales volume between 2019 and 2022. These major findings were presented during the Protect Our Next Press Conference on May […]
E-cigarettes glamorized on social media – putting youth at risk
Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook used to overwhelmingly show the use of e-cigarettes in a positive light, undoing some of the positive work done to ban the advertising of traditional tobacco. According to Curtin University’s research, young people who see social media posts featuring e-cigarettes are more likely to vape and […]
What is Article 5.3 and why is it important?
Understanding the convention articles
Article 5.3 is the section of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control which provides guidance on how to handle interference from the tobacco industry. There are four principles:
* There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.
* Parties, when dealing with the tobacco industry or those working to further its interests, should be accountable and transparent.
* Parties should require the tobacco industry and those working to further its interests to operate and act in a manner that is accountable and transparent.
* Because their products are lethal, the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their businesses.
Under these guidelines, there are eight recommendations. These include:
* Raise awareness about tobacco industry interference among all those working in all branches of government and among the public.
* Avoid any interaction with the tobacco industry except where necessary to enable them to effectively regulate tobacco products and the tobacco industry. Where interactions do take place, they must be conducted transparently.
* Reject partnerships, non-binding or non-enforceable agreements with the industry, including voluntary codes of conduct, industry-sponsored tobacco control initiatives or industry offers to assist with the development of tobacco control legislation or policy.
* Develop clear policies on avoidance of conflicts of interest for government officials, employees, consultants and contractors. A wide range of specific steps are recommended within the guidelines.
* Require disclosure of information by the tobacco industry to promote transparency. This must include tobacco production, manufacture, sales and content, as well as industry lobbying, philanthropy, political donations.
* Denormalise and regulate activities described by the industry as “socially responsible” and expose the real intent – such as making the industry seem benevolent towards the population – behind these activities. ‚
* Do not give any benefits, tax exemptions or other incentives to the tobacco industry.
* Treat any state-owned tobacco industry no differently from privately-owned tobacco companies