IFH and Tyumen government combat smoking at the national level

On August 9, 2010 the Tyumen Oblast Duma discussed preparations to the meeting “Anti-tobacco policy” that will be conducted on August 31.

Dr. Anna Karpushkina, the Institute for Family Health Deputy Director, heads of the Tyumen Oblast health and education departments, representatives of Rospotrebnadzor and Roszdravnadzor regional departments, law enforcement officers and other significant figures participated in the meeting.

The Tyumen Oblast is one of the country’s pioneers to initiate tobacco control policy at the national level. The program, which will be implemented by the IFH in cooperation with the Tyumen specialists, will include ban on public smoking. A long-term anti-tobacco program will also be developed. Particular attention will be paid to increasing awareness of the negative impact, caused by smoking, among the population.

Making her speech at the meeting, Dr. Karpushkina brought the impressive data: “Over the last decade, the problem of tobacco using has become of great importance in Russia. More than 40 million people are current smokers: 63% of men and 15% of women, and the smoking population rates are continually growing. What is even more worrying about the present situation is the number of young female smokers – 24% of Russian females under 18 are smoking. The Russian doctors are sounding the alarm: smoking is the most common cause for cardiovascular disorders, it leads to chronic lung diseases and oncological diseases.”

It has become clear that occasional actions and public events, aimed to promote smoking cessation, are hardly efficient. The meeting’s participants have come to an important conclusion: “anti-tobacco policy” is not just a slogan; it requires a complex approach to implementation of task-oriented measures. Tobacco control policies, introduced in the developed world, are currently regulated by the state laws. The Russian Federation does have federal laws on tobacco using control: “Smoking Restriction” and “Joining the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”, but they are insufficient. To make the anti-tobacco policy more effective, the regional legislative acts are called for. Such a practice does not yet exist in Russia. It means that the IFH and the Tyumen Oblast Department of Health joint initiative will be the first step to the national anti-smoking campaign.

By the end of the year, the IFH, jointly with the Tyumen specialists, will develop a regional Tyumen Oblast Smoking Free Policy. The Policy will be based on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and successful international experience. A long-term Anti-smoking work plan and enforcement system on public smoking will also be developed. Today, tobacco addiction is treated by narcologists, but it is important for every doctor to be genuinely interested in the patient’s health improvement. For this reason, the IFH specialists will conduct an interactive seminar on counseling adults and adolescents in smoking quitting.

There is no doubt that the successful experience of cooperation between the IFH and the Tyumen Oblast Department of Health in the field of anti-smoking campaign will serve as a useful example for other regions of the Russian Federation.

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