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European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention Newsletter
17 May 2023 |
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Official launch of the new EU Project 4P-CAN
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4P-CAN (Personalised Cancer Primary Prevention Research through Citizen Participation and Digitally Enabled Social Innovation) is a HORIZON project (HORIZON-MISS-2022-CANCER-01, Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA) which aims, during 4 years, to build on an innovative vision to understand the complex system that surrounds the citizen, the person, and how it increases the risk for cancer on three major levels - macro (at the national level), meso/mezzo (at the community level) and micro (at the individual level).
Following the European Code Against Cancer recommendations as a narrative reference and combining implementation research (including economic sciences), social sciences and humanities (SSH), together with behavioral sciences, and innovative technological approaches, the 4P-CAN project aims to personalize cancer prevention in Central and Eastern European countries. The project will focus on modifiable risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, excess body weight, HPV and HBV infections, and environmental pollution. |
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The Kick-Off Meeting took place in
Bucharest, Romania between 16-17 May 2023
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By co-creating knowledge and implementing personalized interventions, the project aims to improve primary prevention activities and reduce inequalities in several regions. Altogether, 17 organizations from 11 different countries are getting together to achieve these goals, i.e. Balkan countries (EU Member States and non-EU Member States), part of CEE: Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro; Republic of Moldova and Ukraine; and Western EU countries (Portugal, Italy, France, Ireland, Belgium).
During the Kick-Off Meeting, the official project logo has been presented and all WP coordinators delivered presentations related to each Work Package.
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Within this project, ENSP will coordinate WP2: Multi-level Assessment of Cancer Risk Factors Preventive Legislation. This Work Package will include a multi-level assessment of the policies, legislation, and regulatory framework for cancer primary prevention (CPP) main risk factors - smoking, alcohol, sugar and food, excess body weight and PA, HPV and HBV infections, air pollution - implemented in the countries of 4P-CAN. |
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Discover the Renaissance of Tobacco Control
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Join us for the 8th European Conference on Tobacco Control in Florence, Italy
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As the 8th European Conference on Tobacco Control will be held in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy, from October 10 to 12 2023, we are eager to share with the network additional information. Co-organised with the ENSP's local members and partners and followed by the 19th SITAB National Congress, this edition aims again to combine multiple perspectives and join efforts to deliver a complete experience, with renowned experts from both national and European levels.
Attendees will have the opportunity to explore Florence's beautiful architecture, world-renowned museums and galleries, and delicious cuisine, all while engaging with fellow professionals and experts in tobacco control. The conference will feature keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking events, providing attendees with the knowledge and tools they need to make a real difference in the fight against tobacco. The conference program will be designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster collaboration among participants. |
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This beautiful city, known for its rich cultural heritage and as the birthplace of the Renaissance, provides the perfect backdrop for the 8th ECTC. In addition, we are proud to announce that the conference will be held at Baker Hughes Florence Learning Center, which provides a modern and comfortable setting for our conference attendees. The location will allow us to combine the rich cultural heritage of Florence with cutting-edge research and practical solutions to tobacco control.
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Abstract submission is now open
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Don't miss your chance to be a part of this unique event!
The deadline for abstract/symposium submission is 30 June 2023
at 23:59 CET.
All questions and collaboration proposals should be addressed to
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World No Tobacco Day 2023
We need food, not tobacco
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On 31 May 2023, WHO and public health champions around the world will come together to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). This year’s theme is “We need food, not tobacco”. The 2023 global campaign aims to raise awareness about alternative crop production and marketing opportunities for tobacco farmers and encourage them to grow sustainable, nutritious crops. It will also aim to expose the tobacco industry’s efforts to interfere with attempts to substitute tobacco growing with sustainable crops, thereby contributing to the global food crisis. |
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The tobacco industry often touts itself as an advocate for the livelihood of tobacco farmers. This is a far cry from the truth. The intensive handling of insecticides and toxic chemicals during the cultivation of tobacco contributes to many farmers and their families suffering from ill health. Further, unfair contractual arrangements with tobacco companies keep farmers impoverished, and the child labour that is often woven into tobacco cultivation interferes with the right to education and is a violation of human rights. |
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Nine of the 10 largest tobacco cultivators are low- and middle-income countries, and 4 of these are defined as low-income food-deficit countries. Land used to grow tobacco could be more efficiently used to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 – zero hunger. The 2023 WNTD campaign calls on governments and policy-makers to step up legislation, develop suitable policies and strategies, and enable market conditions for tobacco farmers to shift to growing food crops that would provide them and their families with a better life. |
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The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control offers specific principles and policy options on the promotion of economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers, growers and individual sellers (outlined in Article 17), and on enhancing the protection of the environment and the health of people (Article 18). The implementation of these provisions should be strengthened in countries.
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Be a part of World No Tobacco Day and during the month of May
join the world's efforts to end tobacco! |
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25 May: Join a three-course webinar about WNTD
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Tobacco growing contributes in many countries to food insecurity and malnutrition. Thus, switching from tobacco to food crops can help reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. But the choice of food crops also has an impact on the climate. Food crops supporting a Planetary Health Diet can benefit people and the planet. But neither alternative livelihoods to tobacco growing nor a Planetary Health Diet receive strong political support.
On 25 May, from 15:00 to 17:00 (CEST), this webinar will discuss the role of policymakers in protecting public health and the planet. Activists from Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh will present their stories and share lessons learned in tobacco control, food policies and farming.
Languages: English, German interpretation |
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30 May: From Farm to Consumer WNTD Webinar
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The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator are pleased to invite you to the webinar From Farm to Consumer: A discussion on shared tactics by the tobacco and ultra-processed food industries to undermine public health on Tuesday, May 30th at 8:00 am (ET). |
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In keeping with this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme Grow Food, Not Tobacco we’ll be hosting an interactive discussion with public health advocates exploring how the tobacco and ultra-processed food industries stand in the way of life-saving public health policy. |
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Register today to hold a place for our May 30th webinar exploring how the tobacco and ultra-processed food industries are fighting to weaken public health. Register We’ll hear from international leaders in public health about parallels between the tobacco and ultra-processed food industries including harmful marketing practices, industry interference in health policy and farming. We’ll also highlight case studies from tobacco control and food policy champions who are countering the industry and advancing common sense public health policies in their countries. |
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The 9th ECToH welcomes Her Majesty the Queen of Spain and empowers youth to speak out against tobacco
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More than 500 people gathered in the morning of April 26 for the ninth edition of the European Congress On Tobacco Or Health (ECToH), held at the IFEMA in Madrid and organised by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, along with the Spanish Committee for the Prevention of Smoking and the Association of European Cancer Leagues. The congress was opened by Her Majesty the Queen, as permanent President of Honour of the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the association’s Scientific Foundation Association, and ended on 28 April. Over the course of three days, more than 80 experts addressed topics such as tobacco marketing strategies, the influence of social vulnerability on tobacco use, healthy European cities, factors influencing people’s behaviour in tobacco use and the importance of engaging young people in the fight against tobacco. |
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Young people have taken the floor to say
enough to tobacco and all related products during this edition. Young people, the business objective of the tobacco industry, have launched an activist movement at this Congress to confront the enormous machinery of these companies which, with a thoughtful and calculated strategy, aims to ensure that new generations continue to consume their products at the expense of their health and freedom.
ENSP had the opportunity to organise expert meetings as side discussions during the Congress. Moreover, a cohort of representatives from ENSPNext was present in Madrid in the role of rapporteurs, poster chairs and/or speakers at different sessions. Besides its members presenting in different sessions, the Youth Group member Darius Lotrean was nominated as Finalist in the ECToH Poster Award, and Cristina Kiryakos received the Oral Communication Award.
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ENSP Tobacco Dependence Treatment Training
in Bucharest, Romania
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In order to support the implementation of Article 14 of the WHO FCTC, ENSP developed the European Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Dependence. These guidelines are the most recent and globally up-to-date systematic clinical guidelines for smoking cessation, based on best practice standards. ENSP, in collaboration with the Romanian Society of Pneumology, the Medical Student Society in Bucharest, and SCOPH, organised a Tobacco Dependence Treatment event in Bucharest, Romania on 15 May 2023. The event involved young medical students who have been trained to become qualified anti-tobacco trainers. |
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Romanian hospital initiates the Lung Health March to support tobacco control
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The third edition of the Lung Health March took place in Sibiu, Romania on April 16, a moment when Sibiu residents were able to raise their voices against tobacco following the initiative of Pneumophysiology Hospital in Sibiu. Hundreds of people joined the action, and dozens of cigarettes were burned in protest. Hundreds of volunteers exchanged apples for a cigarette with people passing by. At the end of the march, the volunteers burned all the collected cigarettes.
The march is part of a series of activities initiated by the Sibiu Pneumophysiology Hospital
for the sixth year in a row with the aim of promoting smoking prevention measures. Hospital staff will conduct different tobacco control actions for the entire month of May in order to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking on health and appropriately educate young people.
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Other news and publications
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Sign now the letter and
Make Big Tobacco Pay!
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Every year, Big Tobacco continues to push its deadly products, while attempting to disguise its role in the devastating body count resulting from tobacco-related diseases. It's time to Make Big Tobacco Pay for its harms -- and luckily, the global tobacco treaty has mechanisms to do just that. |
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Corporate Accountability and the Make Big Tobacco Pay coalition invite individuals with expertise on liability, reparations, and/or legal accountability, as well as like-minded organizations, to sign on to a letter urging government delegates to the WHO FCTC and national-level government and public health officials to advance policies to hold Big Tobacco liable for its harms. |
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WHO confronts Tobacco Industry's deceptive tactics and urges protection of Public Health
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WHO is deeply concerned about the tobacco industry's persistent efforts to influence scientific research, public perception, policy-making, and the media, with the ultimate aim of promoting and selling nicotine and tobacco products. By spreading misinformation and attacking tobacco control organizations, the industry seeks to undermine public health efforts.
WHO urges member states to reject partnerships and funding from the tobacco industry, highlighting the inherent conflict between their interests and those of public health. |
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It is crucial to remember the industry's history of knowingly denying the cancer risks associated with its products and falsely claiming the safety of secondhand smoke. The tobacco industry's misleading practices continue today, as it conceals the addictive nature of its products while targeting youth with harmful advertisements. WHO emphasizes that the tobacco industry has no place in tobacco control or harm reduction policies, and its interference must be prevented to safeguard public health.
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Ombudsman raises concerns over Commission's interactions with Tobacco Lobbyists
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The European Ombudsman has raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the European Commission's interactions with tobacco lobbyists. Following an inquiry into Commission meetings with tobacco industry representatives, it was found that only the health department proactively publishes records of all meetings, while other departments disclose meetings with senior officials or Commissioners only. |
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The Ombudsman questions how the Commission can ensure that its interactions with tobacco lobbyists align with public health policies when minutes of all meetings are not consistently kept. The Ombudsman has requested a response from the Commission by mid-July 2023, building upon a previous inquiry in 2016 that revealed maladministration regarding transparency policies.
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Navigating a controversial terrain:
Unmasking PMI's "Smoke-Free Future" Campaign
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Philip Morris International's "Smoke-Free Future" campaign has attracted scrutiny from public health advocates and tobacco control organisations, including STOP. In collaboration with other public health organizations, STOP has raised concerns about the campaign, viewing it as a calculated public relations strategy to rebrand and promote alternative tobacco products, even though PMI claims to transition towards reduced-risk products. |
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Skepticism arises due to PMI's continued production and promotion of traditional cigarettes, raising concerns about their true commitment to a smoke-free future. This debate highlights the tension between industry interests and public health objectives, emphasizing the need for evidence-based policies and vigilance against initiatives that may undermine tobacco control efforts.
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New resources tackling the Second-Hand Smoke
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Secondhand smoke remains a hidden menace that continues to cause death and disease, according to a recent article by WHO Europe. Despite progress in tobacco control, exposure to secondhand smoke remains a global health issue, resulting in millions of deaths each year. Secondhand smoke has harmful effects and contains over 7,000 chemicals, including 69 known to cause cancer. There is a great need for comprehensive smoke-free legislation, as smoke-free environments are the only effective way to protect individuals from secondhand smoke. These two fact sheets address two different publics (policymakers and the general public) and aim to increase efforts to raise awareness, enforce smoke-free policies, and implement evidence-based tobacco control measures to eliminate the health risks associated with secondhand smoke.
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European Citizens' Initiative - Tobacco-Free Europe
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Updates from across Europe
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Let's stay connected!
Follow us on social media and help us spread the word through your networks using the hashtags
#ECITFE and #TobaccoFreeEurope ! |
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The latest publications in the TPC Journal:
Ellen Cosgrave, Aishling Sheridan, Edward Murphy, Martina Blake, Rikke Siersbaek, Sarah Parker, Sara Burke, Frank Doyle, Paul Kavanagh
Enrico Davoli, Silvano Gallus, Federica Mattioli, Alessandra Lugo, Renata Solimini, Francisco R. Domínguez, Miguel M. Troasur, Constantine Vardavas*
Deborah Sy
Cornel Radu-Loghin, Karina Mocanu, Hani Al Gouhmani, Constantine Vardavas, Ioanna Lagou, Zinovia Plyta, Aikaterini Papathanasaki, Stella Vogiatzidaki, Alexander Vardavas, Manolis Tzatzarakis, Aristidis Tsatsakis, Filippos Filippidis, Christina Kyriakos, Esteve Fernandez, Olena Tigova, Cristina Martinez, Anna Mar Lopez Luque, Marius Eremia, Lucia Maria Lotrean, Antigona Trofor, Thomas Wenzl, Bill Simpson, Pippa Powell, Polina Starchenko, Angeliki Bakou, Eleni Asimaki, Victoria Vivilaki
Thomas G. Kuijpers, Anton E. Kunst, Marc C. Willemsen
Efthimios Zervas, Niki Matsouki, Charikleia Tsipa, Emannuel Konstantinidis, Zoe Gareiou
Silvano Gallus, Chiara Cresci, Vera Rigamonti, Alessandra Lugo, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Tiziana Fanucchi, Donatello Cirone, Angela Ciaccheri, Salvatore Cardellicchio |
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ENSP is co-funded by the European Union's Health Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101124220 (EU4H). The content of this publication represents the views of the author only and is his/ her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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