New WHO resource outlines steps to implement smokefree cities

Smokefree legislation is a proven cost-effective measure to improve the health of those who live and work in cities. A new resource, “Making Cities Smoke-free”, has been released and intends to support the work of city councils preparing for and implementing smokefree legislation. The resource has been produced in collaboration between the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) and the WHO Centre for Health Development (Kobe Centre) of the World Health Organization. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease participated in peer reviews of the resource. 

“Making Cities Smoke-free” is rich with case studies of cities that have undergone the process and describes key elements for successful implementation:

1. Simple, clear, enforceable and comprehensive legislation.
2. Anticipation and countering of the opposition.
3. Good planning and adequate resources for implementation and enforcement.
4. Civil society involvement.
5. Outreach and communications.
6. Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation and impact of the law.

Cities need political leadership to ensure that proper legislation is passed. While there are small initial financial costs to prepare for and implement laws, those in charge should be encouraged by the medium-term economic benefits of introducing and enforcing smokefree policies. Effective laws protect the health of workers and reduce their risk of heart disease and other illnesses; they also bode well for businesses such as bars, cafes and restaurants. Many big cities across the world have proven that smokefree legislation can be successful and popular, such as Mexico, New York and Sao Paolo, where high levels of compliance have been observed. The resource encourages authorities intending to make their cities smokefree to learn from these and other successful examples and ask for their advice on how to avoid mistakes when applying their experience to a new context.

There are challenges, but they are not insurmountable. Although the tobacco industry and its proponents will mount court cases and other forms of interference with the passage of smokefree legislation, they can be resisted, as numerous jurisdictions have shown.

Through grants from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, The Union has given technical support and capacity building for many cities in low- and middle-income countries. Brazil and Mexico are two of the countries in Latin America that have successfully implemented city-wide smoking bans with assistance from The Union and as a result have extended smokefree cities legislation to other urban areas. Many countries in Latin America are following suit with similar legislation, most notably Argentina. The city of Harbin in China recently passed smokefree legislation and has been preparing for the next phase of implementation by May 2012. India and Indonesia are two other countries where smokefree legislation is being negotiated and implemented.

One of the most popular tobacco control technical training workshops that The Union provides is on smokefree legislation. Attendance at these workshops accounts for about 35% of total participants of all training workshops. This workshop covers the second element in the MPOWER series: Protect (based on Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) and gives participants an overview on developing smokefree legislation, engaging civil society and public support, working with media, countering tobacco industry arguments and tactics, and implementing strategies to ensure high compliance.

For more information and to download a copy, click here.