Welcome and Introductions – BUILDING CAPACITY FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH IN ROMANIA

1. Welcome and Introductions–BUILDING CAPACITY FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH IN ROMANIA Ábrám Zoltán, MD, PhD University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Targu Mures

2. Location: Tîrgu Mureș, Târgu-Mureș • University of Medicine and Pharmacy and partners • Tobacco research in Romania • Building Capacity for Tobacco Research in Romania

3. University of Medicine and Pharmacy

4. Partners Babes-Bolyai University Sapientia University

5. Mures County General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection

6. Tobacco research in Romania • *** Fumatul şi sănătatea publică în România. Cunoştinţe, atitudini şi practici legate de consumul de produse din tutun în rândul populaţiei generale din România, editat de Centrul pentru Politici şi Servicii de Sănătate, Bucuresti, 2004. (coord. Prof. dr. Cristian Vlădescu) • *** Cunoştinţele, atitudinile şi practicile populaţiei generale referitoare la de consumul de tutun si la prevederile legislative in domeniu. Centrul pentru Politici şi Servicii de Sănătate, Bucuresti, 2007. • Ordinului comun MS & CNAS privind Programele Nationale (PN) de Sanatate 2011 si 2012 din 30/12/2010, Programul naţional nr. 5 de evaluare şi promovare a sănătăţii şi educaţie pentru sănătate cuprinde subprogramul 2. Prevenire şi combatere a consumului de tutun.

7. Recent surveys • Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2003 – Hungary 2004, 2009 – Romania Irimie S. et al. Tobacco Use among students from Romania 2004 versus 2009 GYTS data. Applied Medical Informatics, 2010, 27: 55-61 • Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2011 – Romania Institutul Român pentru Evaluare și Strategie. Fumatul și sănătatea. Comportamente și atitudini, 2011

8. Recent surveys • European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, National Anti-drug Agency, Bucharest, 2011 National Report Raport național privind situația drogurilor. Noi evoluții, tendințe și informații detailate cu privire la temele de interes european. Agenția Națională Antidrog, București, 2011

9. Programul Stop Fumat • A national network of doctors and psychologists (100) • Counsel, treatment, hot line (TelVerde): 0213356920 • Rate of succes: 39,1% quit to smoke/2009 • Negoescu R. Ancheta de supraveghere la 1 an a campaniei de renunţare la fumat Quit&Win 2008 România. Institutul de Sănătate Publică Bucuresti, 2009.

10. Eurobarometer • Special Eurobarometer 332 „Tobacco”. Directorate General Communication, European Commission, Brussels, 2010 15- year • You smoke at the present time? - smoking is highest in Greece (40%), Bulgaria (39%) and Hungary (38%) - is lowest in Sweden (16%) and Finland (21%) - EU27 average is 29% - Romania: 30%, 12-14.

11. Smokers at the present time

12. In the European Union in three years the proportion of smokers has declined bythree points: from 32% in 2006 to 29% in 2009. • Romania 2006 - 31% 2009 - 30%

13. Number of cigarettes smoked each day

14. Smoking is allowed inside the house

15. You used to smoke but you have stopped - EU27 average is 22% - The Netherlands (33%), Sweden (31%) and Denmark (31%) have the greatest proportion of respondentswho have given up smoking - The lowest proportions of ex-smokers among the EU member States: Romania (12%) , Portugal (13%) and Greece (14%).

16. Attempts to quit smoking in the last 12 months

17. Conclusion • In Romania smoking prevalence, SHS presence and the number of cigarettes smoked are quite high, while here is reported the lowest proportions of ex-smokers among the EU member States and a high percentage of the attempts to quit smoking, so that tobacco research and tobacco cessation intervention have good perspectives.

18. Building Capacity for Tobacco Research in Romania • Antecedents: Hungarian research model, personal professional relationships • 12 August 2011 – visit of Kristie Foley and Peter Balazs at the UMPh Tg. Mures • 14 Sept 2011– grant submitted to NIH • March-July 2012 – scientific review and funding decision

19. 6 June 2012 – Annual Fogarty-team meeting, Budapest, Hungary to Romania: not an ending, a beginning (KF) September 2012 – Subaward Agreement 12 September 2012 – meeting of local lead scientists 17 October 2012 – first common meeting of all scientists

20. Projects • School-based Prevention & Cessation of Tobacco Use among Adolescents • A Community-Based Prevention Program among Teenagers from Diverse Communities • Smoking and SHS Exposure among Pregnant Women & Children • Adopting Systems-Level Changes to Promote Cessation among Residents in Social Institutions* • Implementation of a Smoking Cessation Program for CVD Patients and Medical Students • Economic Impacts of Smoking • Air Quality Monitoring for SHS Exposure and Policy Advocacy** **4 year *3 year

21. Scientists • Zoltan Abram, UMPh Tg. Mures, Consortium PI • Valentin Nadasan, UMPh Tg. Mures, CoI • Eniko Albert-Lorincz, Babes-Bolyai University • Monica Tarcea, UMPh Tg. Mures, • Lorand Schmidt, Children Protection Authority • Pal Kikeli, UMPh Tg. Mures • Arpad Szabo, Sapientia University • Zsuzsanna Szasz, UMPh Tg. Mures

22. Role of mentors • Conduct new rigorous, transdisciplinary, high impact tobacco research in Romania by filling strategic gaps and by building the individual capacity of tobacco scientists. • Create institutional capacity that will support scientists and advocates engaged in tobacco research. • Translate research findings into programs and policies to reduce tobacco use in Romania.

23. Expectations • high-quality intervention-oriented tobacco research • innovation: special ages (10- year), vulnerable populations (ethnicity, residents in social institutions), new topic (economics) accent on secondhand smoking air quality measurements accent on prevention, on cessation • better knowledge: new information consultations, trainings, workshops

24. Expectations • wide perspectives in the collaboration of scientists and institutions, tobacco-control partnerships • presence at conferences, scientifical meetings • paper publications (ISI), books, informative leaflets, presence in mass media etc. • new preventive and tobacco cessation programs (ex. online program, medical students) • contribution to programs (policies) to reduce smoking and SHS exposure • contribution to a useful collaboration among local authorities, institutions, NGOs • to develop teaching skills

25. American, Hungarian and Romanian researchers together will answer the questions and will realize the expectations by sharing of ideas and results, by a succesful communication and by new partnerships. • I wish succes for everybody!

26. Thank you for your attention!