Bulgarian National Program for Reducing Tobacco Use

1. Bulgarian National Program for Reducing Tobacco Use BULGARIA - BEFORE BULGARIA- AFTER AND ROAD AHEAD OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

2. 1.Description of tobacco Control activities of WHO and Bulgaria 2.Bulgarian tobacco control & prevention policy 3.Goals 4.Objectives 5.Target groups 6.Leading principals 7.Institutional framework 8.Participants 9.Phases 10.Action plan 11.Financing December 20,2001Bulgarian Government adopted The National Program for smoking Prevention OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

3. Bulgaria before December 2001- Economic prospective • 4 years after the biggest economic crisis • growing tobacco -only income for the poor regions of the country with ethnic minority population • powerful Tobacco industry OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

4. OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

5. Tobacco and tobacco products sector secures almost 1/3 of export of the whole food, drinkand tobacco industry (32.7 % in 2000). OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

6. OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

7. Bulgaria before December 2001- Policy prospective • last year of the Government term • ongoing changes of Health care system • ongoing changes of legislation and executive regulations • no communication and cooperation between the state institutions • no effective implementation of tobacco advertising restrictions and strong tobacco tax policy OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

8. Bulgaria before December 2001Health prospective OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

9. Why this happened? • As a result of 10 years efforts of tobacco activists in the country • Recognition of the smoking as a one of the main health and social problems in the country • WHO Framework Convention OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

10. Bulgaria after December 2001-Economic prospective • Tobacco products - Prices and tax increases last price increase - 42% for cigarettes manufactured in Bulgaria and 31% for import cigarettes • ALL DIRECT AND INDIRECT ADVIRTAISING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE ABSOLUTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW (Radio and Television act, amended 1998 and 2000 ) OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

11. Bulgaria after December 2001 policy prospective • Improvement of cooperation with the NGOs • Better communication between state institutions • Keeping policy - makers attention of the problem • representatives of executive Government branches and legislators together against the Tobacco national problem OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

12. Bulgaria after December 2001Health prospective • 42.9 % smokers of the population(56.5% male,31.2% female) • 49.8 % of school-age children age 15-16 are smokers • 39% of them start smoking at the age 13 OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

13. Role of the NGOs • External financial resources for projects and research activity The program have to be realised with the planed budget of $1 250 000 for 4 years. For the last year (2002) the program was financed with approximately $112 000 • growing influence of the NGOs for focusing policy - makers attention of the tobacco prevention • growing of public pressure for implementing comprehensive national tobacco policy OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

14. Road ahead • Adoption from the Parliament • Building of the national Found for prevention programs • Effective implementation of legislation and executive regulations • Tobacco price and tax-policy • Health education and prevention OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

15. ROAD AHEAD“... The Programme aims to involve all state and NGO structures in favour of restricting tobacco consumption…….” Proposals • Concerning the adoption procedure: - all included partners, target groups, institutions, media etc. to be made known with the aims, objectives and activities of the National Program • Concerning the institution, introducing the Program (Ministry of Health): • discussion/debate with followed adoption by the National Assembly after finishing the first (preparation) phase of the Program OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003

16. Road Ahead Concerning the Program Budget: - setting up of a National Public Fund for youth tobacco use prevention programs and campaigns Concerning the raising of cigarettes prices: - the annual budget has to be equal to the sum of the excises the state gets from the cigarettes sold to children and young people under 18 years of age (app.10 million levs). OSI Conference Effective Advocacy and Movment for Tobacco Control Bucharest 4/23/2003