Beginner’s guide to tobacco control legislation

Tobacco control legislation is one World Health Organization tool developed in response to the historic Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Recognising that legislation is critical to meaningful progress in tobacco control and that member states are at various stages of a comprehensive approach, this work serves as an introductory guide for those charged with establishing mandates to control the spread of tobacco use.

The guide assumes the users—health officials, advocates, lawyers, leaders within non-governmental organisations—have little legislative and policymaking experience. Generally, the book takes a macro level approach in coaching users to introduce and implement meaningful tobacco control policies at the national or sub-national levels. It does not attempt to answer all questions related to the formidable task of passing tobacco control laws, but identifies the sundry of questions that need to be asked to facilitate success in effecting change in …