WHO - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

05/25/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2023 02:09

World No Tobacco Day Awards 2023: inspiring European advocates

WHO has announced the winners of the 2023 World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Awards, celebrating the achievements of five inspiring individuals and organizations from across the European Region. These trailblazers have demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation in the field of tobacco control, pushing the boundaries to create a healthier, tobacco-free future for all.

From securing a strong tobacco control strategy in Belgium, leading a groundbreaking educational campaign in Greece and advocating for comprehensive tobacco control measures in Kazakhstan, to ensuring continuation of the prevention and cessation of tobacco use in Slovenia during the COVID-19 pandemic and contributing to a better understanding of the attractive, addictive and toxic properties of tobacco and nicotine products, these awardees have made a significant impact.

Belgium: Ms Suzanne Gabriels, Fondation contre le Cancer

Suzanne Gabriels is a well-known and respected tobacco control expert and has been working tirelessly to improve Belgium's tobacco control policies. Her advocacy work and collaborations at various levels have played a key role in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Belgium. She was a major force behind the adoption of the Interfederal Strategy for a Tobacco Free Generation in 2022, which includes increased taxation on tobacco and herbal smoking products, plain packaging for all tobacco and herbal smoking products, a ban on nicotine and cannabinoid pouches and disposable electronic cigarettes, the implementation of measures to prevent tobacco industry interference, and a more robust tobacco advertising ban.

Ms Gabriels is also a founding partner of the Belgian Alliance for a Smoke-Free Society, which has successfully persuaded Belgian political parties and governments to take ambitious measures to reach a smoke-free generation by 2040.

She has also been continuously influencing public opinion on tobacco control related topics through various media appearances, as well as publishing opinion letters in the press.

Greece: Professor Panagiotis Behrakis, SmokeFreeGreece

Professor Panagiotis Behrakis is a renowned global expert in public health and tobacco control. In recent years, he has focused on preventing tobacco use among young people in Greece. Under his leadership, SmokeFreeGreece has conducted a series of educational activities, including student seminars, teacher workshops and national conferences. These efforts have reached a significant portion of the Greek school population, contributing to a decrease in smoking prevalence among young people. SmokeFreeGreece was selected by the European Commission as one of the top nongovernmental organization (NGO) initiatives for its outstanding efforts in tobacco use prevention.

In the past, Professor Behrakis has worked on national health communication and health promotion campaigns to curb smoking in Greece. Moreover, he has served as Principal Investigator in several European projects, including European Regulatory Science on Tobacco (EUREST) and Tobacco Cessation Guidelines (TOB-G).

Kazakhstan: Dr Jamilya Sadykova, public fund "Temekisiz", national coalition "For smokefree Kazakhstan"

Dr Jamilya Sadykova is a dedicated and experienced public health advocate who has been supporting the Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan in promoting robust tobacco control measures since 2005. In 2020, she led an information campaign and policy dialogues that advocated for a comprehensive set of tobacco control measures as part of the health act. The new legislation, adopted in July 2020, includes a ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale, a total ban on smokeless tobacco and increased penalties for violating tobacco control provisions, among other things. The new legislation became a true tobacco control victory, which was highly acknowledged by the international community.

In 2022, Dr Sadykova actively supported the Ministry of Healthcare initiative to adopt an increase in the tax rates applied to heated tobacco product (HTP) sticks, and calculate the excise tax per stick rather than per kilogram of tobacco mixture.

Currently, she contributes to the advancement of tobacco control work as a member of the Ministry of Healthcare Advisory Board and a member of the working groups organized by WHO, the FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Netherlands: Dr Reinskje Talhout, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)

Dr Reinskje Talhout is a pioneer in tobacco product regulatory science who has been investigating the chemical composition and properties of tobacco products since 2004. As the head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Product Regulation and Control hosted by RIVM, she supports the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative by providing guidance on the attractive, addictive and toxic properties of tobacco and nicotine products (such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches), and ensuring public access to data on the composition of emissions per cigarette brand and type. Dr Talhout is also an advisor on tobacco product testing and regulation to national governments and the European Union (EU) as a member of the Regulatory Committee of the Tobacco Products Directive.

Dr Talhout has contributed to various collaborative EU projects in the field of tobacco control, and she is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Tobacco Regulators Forum.

Dr Talhout's research has been instrumental in illuminating the role of flavour descriptions and other sensory factors in the attractiveness of novel tobacco and nicotine products, as well as contributing to a better understanding of the challenges faced by smokers trying to quit.

Slovenia: National Institute of Public Health and its Anti-Tobacco Working Group

The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is the leading public health organization in Slovenia working in the field of tobacco control. Its dedicated Anti-Tobacco Working Group (ATWG), composed of representatives from various national institutions and NGOs, has shown exceptional commitment to tobacco control, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The group's devotion and determination ensured that the prevention and cessation of tobacco use remained a high priority in the country.

The ATWG was the major co-author and advocate of the first Slovene strategy on tobacco control 2022-2030, which envisions the country becoming smoke (nicotine)-free by 2040. Moreover, the group contributed to the successful defence of existing tobacco control measures, such as timely implementation of plain packaging in Slovenia, despite the tobacco industry attempts to postpone this process by 2 years.

The NIPH is also an important partner of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control 2 in strengthening cooperation on tobacco control between Member States and the European Commission. The NIPH contribution to research, knowledge generation and dissemination at the national level is invaluable.