Role of Civil Society Organizations in Tobacco Control

1
Role of Civil Society Organizations in Tobacco
Control

• Monika Arora
• Director
• HRIDAY

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Role of Civil Society Organizations in Tobacco
Control

• As tobacco transnational are continuously
  promoting their products globally the government
  in each country is grappling with economic and
  political interests related to tobacco.
• At this time the role of civil societies becomes
  pertinent as these groups
• advocate for regulating tobacco products
• raise awareness among the masses
• demand regulation and litigate against other
  issues related to tobacco.

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Types of Non-Government Organizations

• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
• Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs)
• Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs)
• Participants (The Framework Convention
  Alliance-FCA)
• Collaborators (Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control
  AFTC)
• Legitimizers (Rights Activists Consumer
  Education and Research CentreCERC Voluntary
  Organization in Interest of Consumer
  EducationVOICE in Delhi)
• Watchdogs Youth and student activist groups
  HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination
  Amongst Youth)-SHAN (Student Health Action
  Network)

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• World Health Organization has established a Civil
  Society Initiative (CSI) to formalize the
  partnership of working together towards
  achievement of the health goals in both developed
  and developing countries
• (http//www.who.int/whr/2002/chapter4/en/index10
  .htmlfig_4_9)

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Role of Civil Society Organizations in Tobacco
Control

• Health education and promotion
• Community Outreach Services
• Advocacy
• Litigation
• Legislation Enforcement through Watchdog
  activities
• Tobacco Cessation
• Clinic Services
• Resource Mobilization
• Distributing Designing and Developing IEC
  material
• Research to guide policies and programmes.

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• Awareness
• School Programmes on Tobacco Control
• - Community Outreach Activities

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HRIDAY-SHAN Model
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School Programme on Tobacco Control

• Mobilizing Youth for Tobacco Related Initiatives
  in India Project MYTRI

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School Curricula Manuals
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Role Of Teachers

• Teachers guide correct reward and serve as role
  models for the students.
• Prior experience Teacher led programmes have
  better outcomes as compared to research team led
  programmes.

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Intervention Training Peer Leaders
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Role of Peer Leaders

• Peer leaders are the most important component of
  any school health programme
• Peer leaders are selected by fellow classmates
  with guidance from teachers
• Serve as role models for their peers

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Peer Led Health Activism
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Tobacco Free Educational Institutions

• Students were sensitized by HRIDAY SHAN to
  maintain a tobacco free environment within the
  school premises and surroundings.
• HRIDAY provided boards highlighting Ban on sale
  of tobacco products within 100 yards of
  educational institutions to 100 schools and 10
  colleges.

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Role of Parents

• Parents are role models at home create
  tobacco-free norms at home which reiterate what
  is taught in schools

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School Curricula Parent Postcards
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• Community Outreach Programme
• Schools/colleges serve as portals of community
  health education
• Initiated through Health Art
• Posters are displayed at Bus Stops Market
  Places Neighbourhood Community
• Youth representatives serve as key facilitators
  for
• Transfer of knowledge from health experts to the
  wider community.
• Motivating community leaders to participate in
  tobacco control efforts at community level

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• Advocacy

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Advocacy Role of civil Societies

• Upstream advocacy (interaction with policy
  makers)
• Downstream advocacy (community mobilization)
• Advocacy with media
• Advocacy involving youth

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Coalition of Indian NGOs and their Advocacy
Efforts for Tobacco Control Advocacy Forum for
Tobacco Control (AFTC)

• AFTC is a coalition of Indian Organizations and
  individuals working in the area of research
  awareness and advocacy related to tobacco control
  in India.
• AFTC was formed as a result of an Advocacy
  Leadership Fellows Program conducted by
  (ACS/UICC/AI) in India in 2001.

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Advocacy Efforts by AFTC to support the Indian
Tobacco Control Bill in 2003

• HRIDAY-SHAN and PATH Canada in Delhi took the
  lead in organizing advocacy campaigns on behalf
  of AFTC to support the tabelling of Cigarettes
  and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
  Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and
  Commerce Production Supply and Distribution)
  Bill in the Parliament in April 2003.
• Letters of support affirmation statements on the
  Tobacco Control Bill on behalf of 11 Indian NGOs
  to the Union Health Minister were released on a
  daily basis.
• Letters of appreciation from International
  organizations (Framework Convention Alliance
  American Cancer Society and World Bank) were by
  AFTC and released to the Indian Press.

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• Policy Maker Advocacy
• Post card campaign for parliamentarians
  Awareness material for MPs were developed at
  Delhi and sent to them
• Representation from youth groups sent appeals
  to the MPs to support Indian Tobacco Control Act
  2003 in the Parliament
• Youth groups involved as crucial stakeholders
  Disseminated a letter to the M.Ps of the
  Lok-Sabha stating the public health benefits of
  the Tobacco Control bill.

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• Intra inter school debates on ban of
  tobacco advertising for a comprehensive tobacco
  control programme.

Advocacy with decision makers Signature campaign
by 25000 students along with an appeal to the
Prime Minister of India to impose a ban on all
forms of tobacco advertising (Sept. 1998).
Formation of well informed groups TAT (Teachers
Against Tobacco) SAT (Student Against Tobacco)
and PAT (Parents Against Tobacco) which ensure
childrens protection from second hand smoke
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Advocacy with Parliamentarians
1998
2003
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A Global Initiative To Promote Health Among And
By Youth

• Youth for Health (Y4H) is working towards
• Facilitating concerted actions for introducing
  and implementing health promoting policies.
• Collectively campaigning on pressing health
  concerns for youth identified from GYM 2006.
• Y4H members work through e-connectivity
  (http//y4h.hriday-shan.org)
• Action areas for 2007 and 2008 identified during
  GYM 2006
• Global Smoke Free Campaigns
• Promoting Healthy Gender Relations
• Policies for Promoting Healthy Eating and
  Physical Activity

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Signature campaign to support health warnings on
tobacco packs

• Students presented postcards bearing suggested
  pictorial health warnings to the Health Minister
  along with signatures from 20000 students from
  Delhi Lucknow Goa and Himachal Pradesh
  requesting for early enactment of this provision
• Similar appeals signed by parents and teachers
  were also presented

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• Litigation

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NGOs as Rights Activists Provide Impetus for
Policy Initiatives

• Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI)
  filed a petition in the high court against
  surrogate advertising by tobacco companies by way
  of sponsorship of sports (Indian cricket teams
  sponsorship by the Wills brand of cigarettes
  manufactured by Indian Tobacco Company ITC).
• VOICE filed a complaint (1984) against the ITCs
  organized contest on television that intended to
  advertise their brand and promote use of
  cigarettes.
• Burning Brain Society an NGO filed a Public
  Interest Litigation in high court to restrain GPI
  Godfrey Phillips Indias award function as it
  promoted and advertised its cigarette brand Red
  and White

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• Watchdogs
• Monitoring Reporting

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Students reporting violations of the Indian
Tobacco Control Act 2003

• School and college student activists presented
  documented evidence of several ways in which the
  tobacco industry was flouting the regulations
  related to point-of-sale and ban on
  advertisement of tobacco products
• Youth activists requested strict enforcement of
  these regulations and imposition of penalties by
  the government

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Strategies and Activities Monitoring Media
Advocacy

• Reported violations of the Indian Tobacco Control
  Act 2003 to the Union Minister(MOHFW)
• School and college student activists requested
  strict enforcement of the law
• Youth Led Campaign to Monitor Implementation of
  Ban on Smoking in Public Places Smoke-Free
  Restaurants Campaign
• The campaign aims to sensitize the restaurant and
  hotel owners in Delhi about the rules related to
  prohibition of smoking in public places
• Students revisited these restaurants/hotels in
  case of non compliance declared that restaurant
  as a Non Youth Friendly Restaurant

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Capacity Building of Civil Society Groups

• Civil society groups have a greater capacity to
  undertake further operational research which can
  improve the implementation of programmes and the
  realization of policy.
• It is important to build research capacities
  among civil society organizations to enable them
  to pursue authentic science-based advocacy
  demand effective health policies and undertake
  community based research relevant to
  implementation of tobacco control measures.
• Leading civil societies can be involved in
  developing tobacco control modules to train
  existing health force in other National
  Programmes to mainstream tobacco control.

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• NGOs can also assist State governments in
  capacity building workshops.
• PHFI was involved in capacity building of nodal
  officers for tobacco control of 28 States and 7
  Union Territories
• HRIDAY has developed a manual for Law Enforcers
  on Indian Tobacco Control Laws
• Trainings other NGOs is also an important step

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Facilitating Government of India in Rules
Formation Health Warnings for Tobacco Product
Packages

• HRIDAY-SHAN has been involved in designing
  developing and field testing pictorial health
  warnings for tobacco product packages suitable
  for Indian settings for the Ministry of Health
  and Family Welfare Government of India.
• Smoke Free Rules 2008 HRIDAY facilitated the
  Government of India through the background
  research and compiling best practices in
  smoke-free law internationally to revise the
  rules related to Ban of Smoking in Public Places
  notified on May 30 2008.

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IEC Material Development
Book on FCTC COTPA developed by PHFI
Handout on Tobacco Control developed by HRIDAY
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Factsheets on Tobacco Control developed by HRIDAY
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NGO Led Research Guides Tobacco Control

• Many Indian NGOs have produced research in the
  area of tobacco control that has led to policy
  developments and have subsequently called for
  public health action in that regard.
• Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted by
  some Indian NGOs in different states revealed
  facts that called for immediate need to protect
  the youth in India.
• HRIDAY has been conducting research studies that
  have shown tobacco use prevalence among youth and
  how effective intervention can prevent and reduce
  tobacco use among Indian youth.
• (www.hriday-shan.org)

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Role of NGOs in National Tobacco Control Programme

• Under the National Tobacco Control Programme
  NGOs would be involved in carrying out
• Awareness generation campaigns - For creating
  awareness about ill effects of the tobacco among
  school teachers health workers law enforcers
  etc.
• Training and Capacity building program for the
  school teachers health workers law enforcers
  Women Self Help Groups and other civil society
  organizations etc. about Anti Tobacco Law and
  other state specific tobacco related issues.
• To carry out School Programmes for Tobacco
  Control e.g. Tobacco Free Schools initiatives
  and other activities including awareness about
  provisions under Anti Tobacco Law ill effects
  and health hazards of tobacco use

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• Thank you