Tobacco endgame toolkit

In the European Union, the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, launched in 2021 sets out to achieve a "Tobacco-Free Europe" and a "Tobacco-Free Generation", where less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040. In the implementation roadmap of the Cancer Plan, the "Tobacco-Free Generation" goal is addressed through foreseen revisions of key EU tobacco directives for product regulation, marketing, and taxation, and strengthened collaboration between the Member States and Commission.
More Information: Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (pdf)

Between 2021–2024, the EU-funded Joint Action on Tobacco Control 2 (JATC-2) -project included a specific work package (WP9 "Best practices to develop an effective and comprehensive tobacco endgame strategy") on tobacco endgame, with the following objectives:

1. To identify and assess tobacco endgame strategies and forward-looking tobacco control policies for the European region.
2. To explore best practices in developing, implementing, and evaluating tobacco endgame strategies and forward-looking tobacco control policies.
3. To promote best practices and facilitate the development of national tobacco endgame strategies in Europe.

This online toolkit is one of the deliverables of this work package. It is intended for different target groups such as regulators, policymakers, researchers and civil society organizations interested in the tobacco endgame concept and different country approaches to it. It is developed for the European context, but its contents may be beneficial in other regions. This toolkit provides information on the following:

• Tobacco endgame goals and measures in Europe
• Identifying feasible policy options
• Case studies and potential best practices
• Key considerations and common myths
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Useful sources of information

What is tobacco endgame?

Globally, around 8 million people die prematurely each year because of the diseases caused by tobacco use or exposure to tobacco smoke. In the European Union (EU), around 25% of adult population smokes tobacco products, and around 0.7 million people die every year prematurely due to tobacco smoking. Besides people’s health, and social and economic consequences, the production chain and waste disposal of tobacco and related products severely damage the environment.

The possibility of ending the tobacco epidemic, instead of only controlling it and reducing harm is gaining more and more attention. Researchers started proposing different measures towards this end as early as the 1990s. In the last 15 years, an increasing number of countries have integrated this approach into their national strategies and policies.

The tobacco endgame approach does not have any single definition, but it commonly consists of most, if not all, of the following elements:

• aim of a minimal level of use in the general population or in future generations
• a measurable goal such as less than 5% prevalence of use of defined tobacco or related products
• a defined time frame in the near future, such as by the year 2040
• permanent transformation through structural, political, and social changes
• integration to a national strategy or action plan
• adoption of individual forward-looking policies.

Tobacco endgame is in accordance with global tobacco control and human rights treaties. Article 2.1 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) encourages its Parties to adopt and implement forward-looking measures to better protect the health of present and future generations. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being and the right of the child.
More Information: The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)

Partners

• Belgium: Federal Public Service Health
• Cyprus: Cyprus National Addictions Authority,
• Cyprus: University of Cyprus
• Denmark: Ministry of Health
• France: Santé publique France
• France: Ministry of health - DGS
• Greece: National Public Health Organisation
• Hungary: National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology
• Ireland: Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Italy: Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO)
• Italy: Ministry of Health
• Italy: Department of Medical Epidemiology; Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (IRCCS)
• Lithuania: NARKOTIKU TABAKO IR ALKOHOLIO KONTROLES DEPARTAMENTAS (NTAKD)
• The Netherlands: Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
• Norway: Ministry of Health
• Norway: Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
• Portugal: Ministério da Saúde | Direção-Geral da Saúde
• Serbia: Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut"
• Slovenia: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje (NIJZ)
• Spain: Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
• Spain: Programa de Prevenció i Control del Càncer, Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
• Spain: Ministry of Health