A Complex Interplay: Navigating the Crossroads of Tobacco Use, Cardiovascular Disease, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A WHF Policy Brief.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly referred to as COVID-19, is responsible for one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. The direct, indirect and lasting repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and public health, as well as health systems can still be observed, even today. In the midst of the initial chaos, the role of tobacco as a prognostic factor for unfavourable COVID-19 outcomes was largely neglected. As of 2023, numerous studies have confirmed that use of tobacco, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular and other diseases, is strongly associated with increased risks of severe COVID-19 complications (e.g., hospitalisation, ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation, long COVID, etc.) and deaths from COVID-19. In addition, evidence suggests that COVID-19 directly affects multiple organs beyond the respiratory system, disproportionately impacting individuals with comorbidities. Notably, people living with cardiovascular disease are more prone to experiencing worse outcomes, as COVID-19 often inherently manifests as thrombotic cardiovascular complications. As such, the triad of tobacco, COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease constitutes a dangerous cocktail. The lockdowns and social distancing measures imposed by governments have also had adverse effects on our lifestyles (e.g., shifts in diets, physical activity, tobacco consumption patterns, etc.) and mental well-being, all of which affect cardiovascular health. In particular, vulnerable populations are especially susceptible to tobacco use, cardiovascular disease and the psychological fallout from the pandemic. Therefore, national pandemic responses need to consider health equity as well as the social determinants of health. The pandemic has also had catastrophic impacts on many health systems, bringing some to the brink of collapse. As a result, many health services, such as services for cardiovascular disease or tobacco cessation, were severely disrupted due to fears of transmission and redirection of resources for COVID-19 care. Unfortunately, the return to pre-pandemic levels of cardiovascular disease care activity has stagnated. Nevertheless, digital solutions, such as telemedicine and apps, have flourished, and may help reduce the gaps. Advancing tobacco control was especially challenging due to interference from the tobacco industry. The industry exploited lingering uncertainties to propagate misleading information on tobacco and COVID-19 in order to promote its products. Regrettably, the links between tobacco use and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain inconclusive. However, a robust body of evidence has, since then, demonstrated that tobacco use is associated with more severe COVID-19 illness and complications. Additionally, the tobacco industry also repeatedly attempted to forge partnerships with governments under the guise of corporate social responsibility. The implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control could address many of the aforementioned challenges and alleviate the burden of tobacco, COVID-19, and cardiovascular disease. In particular, the implementation of Article 5.3 could protect public health policies from the vested interests of the industry. The world can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to better prepare for future health emergencies of international concern. In light of the impact of tobacco on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that tobacco control remains a central component in pandemic preparedness and response plans.

Nicotine and Cardiovascular Health: When Poison is Addictive - a WHF Policy Brief.

Nicotine is universally recognized as the primary addictive substance fuelling the continued use of tobacco products, which are responsible for over 8 million deaths annually. In recent years, the popularity of newer recreational nicotine products has surged drastically in many countries, raising health and safety concerns. For decades, the tobacco industry has promoted the myth that nicotine is as harmless as caffeine. Nonetheless, evidence shows that nicotine is far from innocuous, even on its own. In fact, numerous studies have demonstrated that nicotine can harm multiple organs, including the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Tobacco and recreational nicotine products are commercialized in various types and forms, delivering varying levels of nicotine along with other toxic compounds. These products deliver nicotine in profiles that can initiate and perpetuate addiction, especially in young populations. Notably, some electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and heated tobacco products (HTP) can deliver concentrations of nicotine that are comparable to those of traditional cigarettes. Despite being regularly advertised as such, ENDS and HTP have demonstrated limited effectiveness as tobacco cessation aids in real-world settings. Furthermore, ENDS have also been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) are proven to be safe and effective medications for tobacco cessation. NRTs are designed to release nicotine in a slow and controlled manner, thereby minimizing the potential for abuse. Moreover, the long-term safety of NRTs has been extensively studied and documented. The vast majority of tobacco and nicotine products available in the market currently contain nicotine derived from tobacco leaves. However, advancements in the chemical synthesis of nicotine have introduced an economically viable alternative source. The tobacco industry has been exploiting synthetic nicotine to circumvent existing tobacco control laws and regulations. The emergence of newer tobacco and recreational nicotine products, along with synthetic nicotine, pose a tangible threat to established tobacco control policies. Nicotine regulations need to be responsive to address these evolving challenges. As such, governments should regulate all tobacco and non-medical nicotine products through a global, comprehensive, and consistent approach in order to safeguard tobacco control progress in past decades.

Progress, challenges and the need to set concrete goals in the global tobacco endgame.

The tobacco endgame is rapidly moving from aspirational and theoretical toward a concrete and achievable goal and, in some cases, enacted policy. Endgame policies differ from traditional tobacco control measures by explicitly aiming to permanently end, rather than simply minimize, tobacco use. The purpose of this paper is to outline recent progress made in the tobacco endgame, its relationship to existing tobacco control policies, the challenges and how endgame planning can be adapted to different tobacco control contexts. Examples of implemented policies in three cities in the United States and national policies in the Netherlands and New Zealand are outlined, as well as recent endgame planning developments in Europe. Justifications for integrating endgame targets into tobacco control policy and the need to set concrete time frames are discussed, including planning for ending the sale of tobacco products. Tobacco endgame planning must consider the jurisdiction-specific tobacco control context, including the current prevalence of tobacco use, existing policies, implementation of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and public support. However, the current tobacco control context should not determine whether endgame planning should happen, but rather how and when different endgame approaches can occur. Potential challenges include legal challenges, the contested role of e-cigarettes and the tobacco industry's attempt to co-opt the rhetoric of smoke-free policies. While acknowledging the different views regarding e-cigarettes and other products, we argue for a contractionary approach to the tobacco product market. The tobacco control community should capitalize on the growing theoretical and empirical evidence, political will and public support for the tobacco endgame, and set concrete goals for finally ending the tobacco epidemic.

La fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco está rápidamente dejando de ser una aspiración y una teoría y se está convirtiendo en un objetivo concreto y alcanzable y, en algunos casos, una política promulgada. Las políticas para poner fin al consumo de tabaco difieren de las medidas tradicionales de control porque están dirigidas explícitamente a poner fin al consumo de tabaco de forma permanente, en lugar de solo minimizarlo. El propósito de este artículo es describir los progresos recientes en la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco, su relación con las políticas existentes de control del tabaco, los desafíos que se enfrentan y cómo la planificación de la fase final se puede adaptar a los diferentes contextos de control del tabaco. Se describen ejemplos de políticas implementadas en tres ciudades de los Estados Unidos y de políticas nacionales en los Países Bajos y Nueva Zelanda, así como los progresos recientes en la planificación de la fase final en Europa. Se abordan las justificaciones para integrar los objetivos de fase final en las políticas de control del tabaco y la necesidad de establecer plazos concretos, incluida la planificación para poner fin a la venta de productos de tabaco. La planificación de la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco debe considerar el contexto de control del tabaco específico según la jurisdicción, así como la prevalencia actual del consumo, las políticas existentes, la aplicación del Convenio Marco de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para el Control del Tabaco y el apoyo público. Sin embargo, el contexto actual no debe determinar si se debe realizar la planificación de la fase final, sino más bien cómo y cuándo pueden desarrollarse los diferentes planteamientos de la fase. Entre los posibles desafíos se encuentran los legales, el controvertido papel de los cigarrillos electrónicos y el intento de la industria tabacalera de incorporarse a la retórica de las políticas libres de humo. Si bien reconocemos las diferentes opiniones con respecto a los cigarrillos electrónicos y otros productos, abogamos por un enfoque restrictivo con respecto al mercado de productos de tabaco. La comunidad que trabaja por el control del tabaco debe capitalizar la creciente evidencia teórica y empírica, la voluntad política y el apoyo público para lograr la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco, y establecer objetivos concretos para acabar finalmente con la epidemia de tabaquismo.

A erradicação do tabaco está passando rapidamente de uma aspiração teórica para um objetivo concreto e alcançável e, em alguns casos, está se tornando política em vigor. As políticas de erradicação diferem das medidas tradicionais de controle do tabagismo pois visam explicitamente ao fim permanente do consumo de tabaco, ao invés de simplesmente minimizá-lo. O objetivo deste artigo é delinear os avanços recentes rumo à erradicação do tabaco, sua relação com as políticas existentes de controle do tabaco, os desafios e como o planejamento da erradicação pode ser adaptado aos diferentes contextos de controle do tabaco. São apresentados exemplos de políticas implementadas em três cidades nos Estados Unidos e políticas nacionais na Holanda e Nova Zelândia, assim como desdobramentos recentes do planejamento da erradicação na Europa. São discutidas justificativas para integrar metas de erradicação nas políticas de controle do tabaco e a necessidade de estabelecer prazos concretos, incluindo o planejamento para encerrar a venda de produtos de tabaco. O planejamento da erradicação do tabaco deve considerar o contexto do controle do tabaco específico a cada jurisdição, incluindo a prevalência atual do consumo de tabaco, as políticas existentes, a implementação da Convenção-Quadro para o Controle do Tabaco da Organização Mundial da Saúde e o apoio do público. Porém, o contexto atual de controle do tabaco não deve determinar se o planejamento da erradicação deve acontecer, mas sim, como e quando diferentes abordagens à erradicação podem ocorrer. Os desafios potenciais incluem recursos judiciais, o papel polêmico dos cigarros eletrônicos e a tentativa da indústria do tabaco de cooptar a retórica das políticas antitabagistas. Embora reconhecendo os diferentes pontos de vista em relação aos cigarros eletrônicos e outros produtos, defendemos uma abordagem contracionista ao mercado de produtos de tabaco. A comunidade de controle do tabaco deve aproveitar as crescentes evidências teóricas e empíricas, a vontade política e o apoio do público à erradicação do tabaco para estabelecer metas concretas e, finalmente, pôr fim à epidemia de tabagismo.

What facilitates policy audacity in tobacco control? An analysis of approaches and supportive factors for innovation in seven countries.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco control policy audacity can make radical ideas seem possible, and set in motion a 'domino' effect, where precedents in one jurisdiction are followed by others. This review examines tobacco control policy audacity from seven countries to identify and compare factors that facilitated it. METHODS: A targeted search strategy and purposive sampling approach was used to identify information from a range of sources and analyse key supportive factors for policy audacity. Each case was summarised, then key themes identified and compared across jurisdictions to identify similarities and differences. RESULTS: Included cases were Mauritius' ban on tobacco industry corporate social responsibility, Uruguay's tobacco single brand presentation regulations, New Zealand's Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan proposals and 2010 parliamentary Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into the Tobacco Industry, Australia's plain packaging legislation, Balanga City's (Philippines) tobacco-free generation ordinance, Beverly Hills City Council's (USA) ordinance to ban tobacco sales and the Netherlands' policy plan to phase out online and supermarket tobacco sales. Each case was one strategy within a well-established comprehensive tobacco control and public health approach. Intersectoral and multijurisdiction collaboration, community engagement and public support, a strong theoretical evidence base and lessons learnt from previous tobacco control policies were important supportive factors, as was public support to ensure low political risk for policy makers. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco control policy audacity is usually an extension of existing measures and typically appears as 'the next logical step' and therefore within the risk appetite of policy makers in settings where it occurs.

Tool to monitor tobacco control policy implementation: the Tobacco Control Scale in Latin America. Adaptation process and pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring tobacco control policy implementation is one of the keys for tobacco consumption reduction in Latin America (LA). This study reports on the adaptation of the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) for use in LA countries and the level of tobacco control policy implementation in this region according to the scale. METHODS: Ecological cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire to measure tobacco control policies was a translated (into Spanish and Portuguese) and adapted version of the last TCS as used in Europe. The resulting TCS-LA maintains the same structure as the original TCS, with eight policy domains and 100 points (pts) as maximum score; however, four policy domains were adapted because the exact same rationale could not be applied. At least two non-governmental tobacco control experts were contacted per country to answer the TCS-LA. RESULTS: Informants from 17 out of 18 countries completed the questionnaire. Using the TCS-LA, Panama (70 pts), Uruguay (68 pts) and Ecuador (61 pts) exhibited the strongest tobacco control policies, while Guatemala (32 pts), Bolivia (30 pts) and Dominican Republic (29 pts) have implemented a lower number of tobacco control policies. Eight countries reached 50% of the TCS-LA total possible score, indicating a relatively good implementation level of tobacco control policies. CONCLUSIONS: Panama, Uruguay and Ecuador are the tobacco control policy leaders in LA; however, tobacco control in the region has room for improvement since nine countries have a total score under 50 pts. The TCS is a feasible and adaptable tool to monitor tobacco control in other WHO regions beyond Europe.

Seguir avanzando en las Américas: el control del tabaco fomenta el desarrollo sostenible

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Progress, challenges and the need to set concrete goals in the global tobacco endgame / Progresos, desafíos y necesidad de establecer objetivos concretos en la fase final para poner fin al consumo tabaco en todo el mundo / Avanços, desafios e a necessidade de estabelecer metas concretas para a erradicação global do tabaco

ABSTRACT The tobacco endgame is rapidly moving from aspirational and theoretical toward a concrete and achievable goal and, in some cases, enacted policy. Endgame policies differ from traditional tobacco control measures by explicitly aiming to permanently end, rather than simply minimize, tobacco use. The purpose of this paper is to outline recent progress made in the tobacco endgame, its relationship to existing tobacco control policies, the challenges and how endgame planning can be adapted to different tobacco control contexts. Examples of implemented policies in three cities in the United States and national policies in the Netherlands and New Zealand are outlined, as well as recent endgame planning developments in Europe. Justifications for integrating endgame targets into tobacco control policy and the need to set concrete time frames are discussed, including planning for ending the sale of tobacco products. Tobacco endgame planning must consider the jurisdiction-specific tobacco control context, including the current prevalence of tobacco use, existing policies, implementation of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and public support. However, the current tobacco control context should not determine whether endgame planning should happen, but rather how and when different endgame approaches can occur. Potential challenges include legal challenges, the contested role of e-cigarettes and the tobacco industry's attempt to co-opt the rhetoric of smoke-free policies. While acknowledging the different views regarding e-cigarettes and other products, we argue for a contractionary approach to the tobacco product market. The tobacco control community should capitalize on the growing theoretical and empirical evidence, political will and public support for the tobacco endgame, and set concrete goals for finally ending the tobacco epidemic.

RESUMEN La fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco está rápidamente dejando de ser una aspiración y una teoría y se está convirtiendo en un objetivo concreto y alcanzable y, en algunos casos, una política promulgada. Las políticas para poner fin al consumo de tabaco difieren de las medidas tradicionales de control porque están dirigidas explícitamente a poner fin al consumo de tabaco de forma permanente, en lugar de solo minimizarlo. El propósito de este artículo es describir los progresos recientes en la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco, su relación con las políticas existentes de control del tabaco, los desafíos que se enfrentan y cómo la planificación de la fase final se puede adaptar a los diferentes contextos de control del tabaco. Se describen ejemplos de políticas implementadas en tres ciudades de los Estados Unidos y de políticas nacionales en los Países Bajos y Nueva Zelanda, así como los progresos recientes en la planificación de la fase final en Europa. Se abordan las justificaciones para integrar los objetivos de fase final en las políticas de control del tabaco y la necesidad de establecer plazos concretos, incluida la planificación para poner fin a la venta de productos de tabaco. La planificación de la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco debe considerar el contexto de control del tabaco específico según la jurisdicción, así como la prevalencia actual del consumo, las políticas existentes, la aplicación del Convenio Marco de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para el Control del Tabaco y el apoyo público. Sin embargo, el contexto actual no debe determinar si se debe realizar la planificación de la fase final, sino más bien cómo y cuándo pueden desarrollarse los diferentes planteamientos de la fase. Entre los posibles desafíos se encuentran los legales, el controvertido papel de los cigarrillos electrónicos y el intento de la industria tabacalera de incorporarse a la retórica de las políticas libres de humo. Si bien reconocemos las diferentes opiniones con respecto a los cigarrillos electrónicos y otros productos, abogamos por un enfoque restrictivo con respecto al mercado de productos de tabaco. La comunidad que trabaja por el control del tabaco debe capitalizar la creciente evidencia teórica y empírica, la voluntad política y el apoyo público para lograr la fase final para poner fin al consumo de tabaco, y establecer objetivos concretos para acabar finalmente con la epidemia de tabaquismo.

RESUMO A erradicação do tabaco está passando rapidamente de uma aspiração teórica para um objetivo concreto e alcançável e, em alguns casos, está se tornando política em vigor. As políticas de erradicação diferem das medidas tradicionais de controle do tabagismo pois visam explicitamente ao fim permanente do consumo de tabaco, ao invés de simplesmente minimizá-lo. O objetivo deste artigo é delinear os avanços recentes rumo à erradicação do tabaco, sua relação com as políticas existentes de controle do tabaco, os desafios e como o planejamento da erradicação pode ser adaptado aos diferentes contextos de controle do tabaco. São apresentados exemplos de políticas implementadas em três cidades nos Estados Unidos e políticas nacionais na Holanda e Nova Zelândia, assim como desdobramentos recentes do planejamento da erradicação na Europa. São discutidas justificativas para integrar metas de erradicação nas políticas de controle do tabaco e a necessidade de estabelecer prazos concretos, incluindo o planejamento para encerrar a venda de produtos de tabaco. O planejamento da erradicação do tabaco deve considerar o contexto do controle do tabaco específico a cada jurisdição, incluindo a prevalência atual do consumo de tabaco, as políticas existentes, a implementação da Convenção-Quadro para o Controle do Tabaco da Organização Mundial da Saúde e o apoio do público. Porém, o contexto atual de controle do tabaco não deve determinar se o planejamento da erradicação deve acontecer, mas sim, como e quando diferentes abordagens à erradicação podem ocorrer. Os desafios potenciais incluem recursos judiciais, o papel polêmico dos cigarros eletrônicos e a tentativa da indústria do tabaco de cooptar a retórica das políticas antitabagistas. Embora reconhecendo os diferentes pontos de vista em relação aos cigarros eletrônicos e outros produtos, defendemos uma abordagem contracionista ao mercado de produtos de tabaco. A comunidade de controle do tabaco deve aproveitar as crescentes evidências teóricas e empíricas, a vontade política e o apoio do público à erradicação do tabaco para estabelecer metas concretas e, finalmente, pôr fim à epidemia de tabagismo.

E-Cigarettes: A New Threat to Cardiovascular Health - A World Heart Federation Policy Brief.

Tobacco is widely recognized as a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, accounting for approximately seventeen percent of all cardiovascular disease deaths globally. Electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes have been developed and advertised as safer alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes. Aggressive marketing strategies, as well as misleading claims by manufacturers, have largely contributed to the belief that e-cigarettes are harmless. In reality, e-cigarettes are far from innocuous. E-cigarette solutions and aerosols generally contain harmful substances that are commonly found in tobacco cigarette emissions. A growing body of literature suggests that e-cigarettes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition, the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools has yet to be determined. Concerningly, most smokers do not give up on tobacco cigarettes and eventually become dual users. Unregulated, e-cigarettes constitute a serious threat to established tobacco control policies. Fortunately, many countries have demonstrated that strong regulations were effective in protecting their populations from the dangers of e-cigarettes. The World Heart Federation recommends applying the precautionary principle and a set of measures to protect vulnerable populations, prevent exposure to second-hand smoking, and address misleading claims. In this regard, we recommend that governments, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders enact or support the following measures, among others: Prohibit the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes to minors, as well as the use of flavouring agents.Prohibit the use of e-cigarettes anywhere tobacco cigarettes have been banned.Prohibit marketing, advertising, and misleading claims regarding e-cigarettes.Apply excise taxes on e-cigarettes.Conduct more research regarding the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular health. Lastly, countries that have banned the commercialization of e-cigarettes should maintain these measures.

¡Activate Ya! Co-learning about school-based tobacco prevention and physical activity promotion in secondary school students in Uruguay.

PURPOSE: ¡Activate Ya! was a group-randomized controlled intervention trial aimed at developing and evaluating the impact of a school-based intervention on preventing cigarette smoking and promoting physical activity (PA) in secondary school students in Uruguay. Secondary aims were to evaluate the program's impact on students' smoking- and PA-related psychosocial risk and protective factors. METHODS: Sixteen schools and n = 654 students participated in the study. The one-year intervention included a classroom-based curriculum, an afterschool program, activity breaks, and final showcase event. A self-administered questionnaire measured outcomes at three time points. Fixed effects regression models tested for differences in outcomes by study condition. RESULTS: While positive intervention effects were found for selected psychosocial-related smoking outcomes, no impact on past-year smoking or smoking susceptibility was detected. Past 7-day PA, measured by the PAQ-C, was significantly higher among intervention school students overall (p = .048) and for girls (p = .03) at posttest, and intervention girls reported significantly higher athletic identity PA competence, friend and teacher PA support at posttest, and PA enjoyment at follow-up (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The positive short-term effects of ¡Activate Ya! on PA and related outcomes for girls support the utility of school-based health promotion in Uruguay. Additional research is needed to determine the most effective strategies to prevent tobacco use among students and promote PA among boys in this setting.

Prevalence of awareness, ever-use and current use of nicotine vaping products (NVPs) among adult current smokers and ex-smokers in 14 countries with differing regulations on sales and marketing of NVPs: cross-sectional findings from the ITC Project.

AIMS: This paper presents updated prevalence estimates of awareness, ever-use, and current use of nicotine vaping products (NVPs) from 14 International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) countries that have varying regulations governing NVP sales and marketing. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: A cross-sectional analysis of adult (≥ 18 years) current smokers and ex-smokers from 14 countries participating in the ITC Project. Data from the most recent survey questionnaire for each country were included, which spanned the period 2013-17. Countries were categorized into four groups based on regulations governing NVP sales and marketing (allowable or not), and level of enforcement (strict or weak where NVPs are not permitted to be sold): (1) most restrictive policies (MRPs), not legal to be sold or marketed with strict enforcement: Australia, Brazil, Uruguay; (2) restrictive policies (RPs), not approved for sale or marketing with weak enforcement: Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand; (3) less restrictive policies (LRPs), legal to be sold and marketed with regulations: England, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, United States; and (4) no regulatory policies (NRPs), Bangladesh, China, Zambia. Countries were also grouped by World Bank Income Classifications. Country-specific weighted logistic regression models estimated adjusted NVP prevalence estimates for: awareness, ever/current use, and frequency of use (daily versus non-daily). FINDINGS: NVP awareness and use were lowest in NRP countries. Generally, ever- and current use of NVPs were lower in MRP countries (ever-use = 7.1-48.9%; current use = 0.3-3.5%) relative to LRP countries (ever-use = 38.9-66.6%; current use = 5.5-17.2%) and RP countries (ever-use = 10.0-62.4%; current use = 1.4-15.5%). NVP use was highest among high-income countries, followed by upper-middle-income countries, and then by lower-middle-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: With a few exceptions, awareness and use of nicotine vaping products varied by the strength of national regulations governing nicotine vaping product sales/marketing, and by country income. In countries with no regulatory policies, use rates were very low, suggesting that there was little availability, marketing and/or interest in nicotine vaping products in these countries where smoking populations are predominantly poorer. The higher awareness and use of nicotine vaping products in high income countries with moderately (e.g. Canada, New Zealand) and less (e.g. England, United States) restrictive policies, is likely due to the greater availability and affordability of nicotine vaping products.

Implementation of 100% smoke-free law in Uganda: a qualitative study exploring civil society's perspective.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, Uganda became one of few sub-Saharan African countries to implement comprehensive national smoke-free legislation. Since the World Health Organisation recommends Civil Society Organisation's (CSO) involvement to support compliance with smoke-free laws, we explored CSOs' perceptions of law implementation in Kampala, Uganda, and the challenges and opportunities for achieving compliance. Since hospitality workers tend to have the greatest level of exposure to second-hand smoke, we focussed on implementation in respect to hospitality venues (bars/pubs and restaurants). METHODS: In August 2016, three months after law implementation, we invited key Kampala-based CSOs to participate in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interviews probed participants' perceptions about law implementation, barriers impeding compliance, opportunities to enhance compliance, and the role of CSOs in supporting law implementation. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis was conducted using the interview transcripts. RESULTS: Fourteen individuals, comprising mainly senior managers from CSOs, participated and reported poor compliance with the smoke-free law in hospitality venues. Respondents noted that contributing factors included low awareness of the law amongst the general public and hospitality staff, limited implementation activities due to scarce resources and lack of coordinated enforcement. Opportunities for improving compliance included capacity building for enforcement agency staff, routine monitoring, rigorous enactment of penalties, and education about the smoke-free law aimed at hospitality venue staff and the general public. Allegations of tobacco industry misinformation were said to have undermined compliance. Civil Society Organisations saw their role as supporting law implementation through education, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based advocacy. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the process of smoke-free law implementation in Uganda has not aligned with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for implementing smoke-free laws, and highlights that low-income countries may need additional support to enable them to effectively plan for policy implementation and resist industry interference.

Knowledge, opinions and compliance related to the 100% smoke-free law in hospitality venues in Kampala, Uganda: cross-sectional results from the KOMPLY Project.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated knowledge, opinions and compliance related to Uganda's comprehensive smoke-free law among hospitality venues in Kampala Uganda. DESIGN: This multi-method study presents cross-sectional findings of the extent of compliance in the early phase of Uganda's comprehensive smoke-free law (2 months postimplementation; pre-enforcement). SETTING: Bars, pubs and restaurants in Kampala Uganda. PROCEDURE AND PARTICIPANTS: A two-stage stratified cluster sampling procedure was used to select hospitality sites stratified by all five divisions in Kampala. A total of 222 establishments were selected for the study. One hospitality representative from each of the visited sites agreed to take part in a face-to-face administered questionnaire. A subsample of hospitality venues were randomly selected for tobacco air quality testing (n=108). Data were collected between June and August 2016. OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge and opinions of the smoke-free law among hospitality venue staff and owners. The level of compliance with the smoke-free law in hospitality venues through: (1) systematic objective observations (eg, active smoking, the presence of designated smoking areas, 'no smoking' signage) and (2) air quality by measuring the levels of tobacco particulate matter (PM2.5) in both indoor and outdoor venues. RESULTS: Active smoking was observed in 18% of venues, 31% had visible 'no smoking' signage and 47% had visible cigarette remains. Among interviewed respondents, 57% agreed that they had not been adequately informed about the smoke-free law; however, 90% were supportive of the ban. Nearly all respondents (97%) agreed that the law will protect workers' health, but 32% believed that the law would cause financial losses at their establishment. Indoor PM2.5 levels were hazardous (267.6 µg/m3) in venues that allowed smoking and moderate (29.6 µg/m3) in smoke-free establishments. CONCLUSIONS: In the early phase of Uganda's smoke-free law, the level of compliance in hospitality venues settings in Kampala was suboptimal. Civil society and the media have strong potential to inform and educate the hospitality industry and smokers of the benefits and requirements of the smoke-free law.