Want to learn more about tobacco control in the Region of the Americas? Like to catch up on the latest evidence-based information on tobacco control science, policy and practice? Wish to read about the successful experiences of others in the Region? Then this free course, available in English and Spanish, might be of interest to you!
The course consists of 8 modules that are taken independently and may be completed in any order. Each module presents background information, global and regional data, the strategies of the tobacco industry to confront the policies, the information to counteract these strategies, and new challenges in the area.
Course Structure:
1. Tobacco epidemic: the problem and its solutions
2. Tobacco control: taxes and prices
3. Tobacco control: smoke-free environments
4. Tobacco control: health warnings
5. Tobacco control: ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship
6. Prevention
7. Cessation
8. Tobacco product regulation
Learning Objectives
* Describe the nature and extent of the tobacco epidemic at the global level and in the Region of the Americas.
* Describe solutions available to curb the tobacco epidemic: the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), its guidelines for implementation, and the WHO MPOWER package.
* To understand the role of tobacco in the context of noncommunicable diseases and to analyze the WHO “best buys” related to tobacco control.
* Describe the tobacco industry’s opposition strategies and list possible responses to these actions.
* Describe the strategies and characteristics of smoking cessation at the individual and population levels.
* Explain the rationale for, and approaches to, tobacco product regulation.
* Analyze new challenges for tobacco control.
The initial idea for this course originated in 2003 with the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) in Ontario, Canada, with the support of the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, as part of the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy. In 2007, the Pan American Health Organization adapted it for the Region of the Americas countries.