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The Kosovo Advocacy and Development Centre has been actively engaged in changing and reforming anti tobacco policies and its implementation.
The protection of public health and the health of individuals from harmful effects of tobacco product consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke was the goal of the project.
KADC has actively advocated in adopting effective national legislation and in promoting measures that protects all people from tobacco smoke, exposure in all indoor public places, indoor work places, on all means of public transport.
As a result of the Project, on 26 April 2013, the President of Kosovo signed a comprehensive tobacco control law that includes the strongest protections in the world to date against tobacco industry interference in policy-making. Those measures are based on Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The comprehensive law mandates:
- 100 percent smoke-free indoor public places, work places and public transportation, as well as specified outdoor areas, with some very minor exceptions.
- Comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, including a ban on retail tobacco product displays.
- Graphic health warnings on both sides of cigarette packages.
- Ban on misleading packaging, including descriptors such as “light” and “low”.
- ï· Â Prohibition on sales to and by minors.
- Ban on sales in health, education and athletic facilities.
- Granting power to the Ministry of Health to ban ingredients as needed.
- Constituents and emissions limits, with onerous reporting requirements formanufacturers.
- Cessation and education measures, including 45 minutes each month of mandatoryprogramming on public radio and television.The new law incorporates nearly all measures in Guidelines to implementing FCTC Art 5.3. They apply to the whole of government and will be enforced by the national Anti-Corruption Agency. The measures include:
- No unnecessary interactions between government and tobacco industry.
- Full transparency for necessary interactions.
- Prohibition on government partnership with, or support of, the tobacco industry.
- Prohibition on contributions from tobacco industry to government, to governmentofficials, and to political parties.
- Strong tobacco-related conflict of interest provisions.
