Bogor declaration calls on countries to ban e-cigarette towards ending tobacco use

The 4th Summit of Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Tobacco Control and Non-communicable Diseases Prevention (APCAT) has ended with a call to ban all types of emerging cigarettes including e-cigarettes towards ending tobacco use.

Nurul Islam Hasibfrom Bogor, Indonesiabdnews24.com
Published : 26 Sept 2019, 07:46 PM
Updated : 26 Sept 2019, 07:46 PM

Mayors of the different cities adopted a 12-point ‘Bogor declaration’ at the end of the two-day summit, fourth of its kind, at the Indonesia’s green city of Bogor.

The summit recognised the catastrophic health, economic, environment and social consequences of tobacco use and burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which is threatening to derail progress on the UN sustainable development goals. Majority of those diseases are preventable.

They committed to accelerate progress towards eventually ending tobacco, as well as preventing the avoidable burden of NCDs and thereby avert untimely deaths.

The APCAT, established in November 2016, is a network of mayors and subnational leaders united by their shared vision to create tobacco-free environments.

It meets on a regular basis to learn and share experiences about comprehensive tobacco control policies and strategies and create solutions to prevent non-communicable diseases (NDC) such as heart attack, stroke, cancers, and chronic lung diseases.

This year’s meet was jointly organised by APCAT, Ministry of Health Indonesia, Bogor City, The Union (International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease) and the Partnership for Healthy Cities with the presence of over 100 local leaders from 40 cities of 12 countries.

A parliamentary and a media forum of APCAT were also formed during the summit.

12-point declaration

1.   Making effective implementation and enforcement of 100 percent smokefree policies in cities and districts ensuring more than 90 percent compliance in public and workplaces

2.   Advocating to national governments and policy makers to raise taxes and prices on tobacco products, alcohol, sugary and sweetened and beverages

3.   Enforcing ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, including ban on display of tobacco products at point-of-sale

4.   Urging national government to ban electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, shisha and other emerging tobacco products.

5.   Committing to find local resources for monitoring and research of tobacco use and NCDs, and scientifically documenting evidence of cost savings, public health gains and other benefits of effective tobacco control and prevention of NCDs. The secretariat of APCAT will facilitate the cities by establishing a technical expert team.

6.   Committing to ban sugary and sweetened beverages in at least all government offices, educational, health and childcare facilities other places wherever possible

7.   Establishing a provision of licensing for sale of tobacco products, alcohol, sugary and sweetened beverage to restrict access

8.   Committing to ban tobacco industry’s interferences and lobbying

9.   Committing to foster partnership with bilateral, multi-lateral organisations, professional organisations and media

10.   Committing to contribute annual membership fees to the APCAT secretariat

11.   Supporting members of the parliament and media to build regional alliances on tobacco control and preventing of NCDs

12.   Committing to end tobacco, prevent the avoidable burden of NCDs and thereby avert untimely deaths.

Asked what city mayors can do in tobacco control, Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, technical adviser to The Union who attended the summit, told bdnews24.com that mayors can play a “strong role”.

“They have mandates to do many things,” he said.

“For example, they can restrict licence for selling tobaccos. They can prevent selling tobaccos within the 100 metres of schools that we recommend. They can ban all types of tobacco advertisement, and promotions. They can allocate budget for anti-tobacco activities,” he said.

“But many of the mayors in Bangladesh are not doing that. And that’s why we suggest a guideline that compel them to work towards having a tobacco-free society,” Tahin said, adding that the guideline has already been drafted by the government.

Bangladesh’s Shameem Haider Patwary MP and the mayors of Manikganj, Dhamrai, Savar, and Cox’s Bazar city corporations attended the summit.