Resources

Tobacco use in Ukraine is a major public health problem that imposes a substantial health and economic burden on the country. On December 17, 2017, the government passed a seven-year plan (2018-2024) laying out annual increases in the price of cigarettes. This seven-year plan is significant as, for the first time in the history of tobacco excise taxes in Ukraine, annual increases in the specific tax rate imposed on cigarettes are mandatory for many years into the future.

IGTC partnered with The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) to assess compliance with smoke-free policies and point-of-sale policies across priority jurisdictions in China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The factsheets and reports present key findings, along with recommendations, to strengthen compliance with smoke-free and point-of-sale policies across these four countries.

Health warning labels (HWLs) can help diminish the appeal of of packaging and communicate risked from tobacco use.  In November 2018, 15 focus group discussion were conducted in Mexico City, Mexico to examine the ways in which cigarette packs appeal to adolescents and young adults and how the pack features affect perceptions of the HWLs.

In a 2016 study, our team found that pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) with messages about smokers harming others were more effective than messages about smokers harming themselves. To test the effectiveness of pictorial HWLs with more specific messagea about smokers harming others, we conducted a follow-up survey in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen in 2017. The new HWLs tested included messages about self-harm, harming family or children, harming others in smoke-free places, and anti-cigarette gift giving.