Policy Development

Evidence-based policies can reduce tobacco use. Vital Strategies partners with governments and civil society organizations to develop, strengthen and adopt policies such as tobacco taxes and smoke-free laws recommended by the World Health Organization.

Our Approach to Supporting Strong Policies

Vital Strategies provides technical and financial assistance to governments to develop best-practice policies to reduce tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries.

We encourage and support policies recommended by the MPOWER package developed by the World Health Organization of best-practice policies in low- and middle-income countries. We provide hands-on technical expertise to government partners through strategic consultations and regular guidance during the policymaking process. We run strategic communication campaigns to generate public demand for comprehensive policies. We pair technical evidence with behavioral systems analysis to identify where policy adoption is feasible, where resistance is likely to emerge, and what framing, evidence or coalition support can help governments move from policy intent to adoption and implementation. And we consistently counter the industry’s interference that aims to undermine public health goals.

Technical and Financial Assistance to Partners

Vital Strategies and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids jointly manage the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use Grants Program, which funds projects delivering sustainable improvements in tobacco control laws, regulations and policies at the national and subnational levels in low- and middle-income countries. We have supported 68 countries to implement MPOWER policies through our comprehensive Tobacco Control Grants Program.

Evidence-Based Measures that Effectively Reduce Tobacco Use

We support the creation of best-practice measures, including tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws, restrictions on labelling and packaging, tobacco advertising bans, and regulations on new and emerging products, such as electronic cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches.

Increasing tobacco taxes is the most effective way of preventing initiation and reducing overall tobacco use. High tobacco taxes also provide governments with sustainable revenue that can be used to fund tobacco cessation services and other health promotion efforts.

The Tobacco Atlas releases tools such as the Cost Recovery and Revenue Estimator (CoRRE), which allows government and civil society stakeholders to assess the economic cost of smoking that can be recovered through reduction in tobacco use in their countries.
Large, culturally appropriate graphic health warnings are among the most effective means to encourage people to stop using tobacco and to prevent initiation. We advocate for strong health warnings, support governments in designing and implementing warnings, and share effective strategies and evidence.

We partner with governments to implement plain packaging for tobacco products. Requiring that tobacco products be sold in standard, generic packaging without industry logos or artwork reduces appeal, enhances impact of health warnings and diminishes the industry’s ability to shape consumer perceptions.
Comprehensive bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship – on both traditional and newer marketing platforms – are proven to reduce tobacco consumption by undermining the tobacco industry’s ability to attract new consumers and keep current users hooked. We provide technical assistance to government partners to develop and strengthen TAPS restrictions and collect evidence demonstrating the need for comprehensive bans.
The interests and motives of the tobacco industry fundamentally conflict with public health. To protect public health policymaking from corporate influence, Vital supports governments to develop and implement policies and guidelines aligned with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3. Comprehensive conflict of interest guidelines in that article include restrictions on interactions between government officials and industry representatives, measures to increase transparency of industry interactions and bans on partnerships.

Index of Tobacco Control Sustainability

The Index of Tobacco Control Sustainability evaluates the sustainability of national tobacco control programs using a set of 31 indicators, including policies, structures and resources.

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