Tobacco control
Tobacco is responsible for close to five million deaths per annum globally. As an advocate of the reduction of the prevalence of risk factors associated with cardiovascular deaths, the World Heart Federation is naturally in favour of strong limitations to active and passive smoking.
The World Heart Federation has already implemented, alongside other organizations, its own code of practice that aims at promoting tobacco limitations within the organization itself.
The World Heart Federation and its member organizations are also intensively involved in multiple tobacco control advocacy activities.
World Heart Federation Code of practice
The World Heart Federation has adopted a code of conduct and supports its members to do the same.
To read more about World Heart Federation code of practice:
To know more about the World Heart Federation members’ actions, please read the documents below:
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)
The FCTC is designed to protect present and future generations from the consequences of consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by strengthening tobacco control initiatives around the world. An initiative of the WHO, the FCTC was unanimously adopted by the WHO’s Member States in 2003.
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is governed by the Conference of the Parties – i.e. all countries that have ratified the Framework Convention. The Conference of the Parties met for the first time in Geneva from 6 to 17 February 2006. The World Heart Federation together with other members of civil society played a key role in assuring a strong Framework Convention and in the success of the session. The Parties agreed to begin work on the development of protocols to deal with cross-border advertising and illicit trade (smuggling).
The Conference of the Parties decisions documents, including the adopted guidelines are available online. For all other available Conference of the Parties documents, visit http://www.who.int
World No Tobacco Day
The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. The day is observed every year on May 31st. It draws global attention to the tobacco epidemic and to the preventable death and disease tobacco causes. It aims to reduce the 3.5 million yearly deaths from tobacco-related health problems. It is a unique opportunity to engage people, countries, organizations and other groups in the struggle against tobacco.
2010 theme: "Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women"
Global Smoke Free Partnership
The Global Smoke Free Partnership is a multi-parter initiative. The goal of this partnership is to promote effective smoke-free air policies worldwide. The partnership works by helping practitioners and supporters of smoke-free policies to access the evidence for smoke-free policies, request assistance from a network of experts, take action in support of smoke-free policies. The partnership is coordinated by the American Cancer Society and the Framework Convention Alliance and brings together various organizations, among them the World Heart Federation, which advocates for the reinforcement of anti-tobacco policies.
The global map of smokefree laws gives an overview of the smokefree status of the vast majority of countries that have ratified the FCTC.
World No Tobacco Day 2010
Download the Global Voices Report, released by Global Smokefree Partnership
Global Dialogue for Effective Stop Smoking Campaigns
WHO Second MPower Report
WHO Report on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2009 and advocacy resources based on the report. Read more >