Tobacco control and cessation challenges in Georgia

Abstract

Tobacco Control Alliance contacted the new government and requested that it fulfils its obligations under the WHO FCTC, ratified in December 2012. The Prime Minister responded adequately, and the government adopted in December 2013, its first tobacco control national Strategy and 2013-2018 action Plan. But since, nothing has really been progressed on tobacco control matters, except insufficient tax increase in September 2013 and in January 2015 (by 0.07 cents). On the other hand, local tobacco manufacturers received around 1.5 million Euros support from the Central Budget in 2015, while the Government spent only 20 000 Euros for tobacco control activities in the same year. It included monitoring on enforcement of current tobacco control law in 1 400 facilities, training of 300 primary healthcare doctors on short advises technique and training for enforcement bodies. Our group has prepared amendments to the laws on tobacco control and Government returned drafts to the MoH in March 2015. We organized translation of European smoking cessation guideline through ENSP support. TFK began an advocacy project in December 2015 together with us.