THE JAMAICA Coalition for Tobacco Control, an anti-smoking lobby, was launched Friday, May 31, World No Tobacco Day. The organisation says that it will work closely with the Government, health and allied organisations as well as the media to encourage abstinence and prevent tobacco use in order to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The lobby group, spearheaded by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and chaired by Dr. Knox Hagley, will be guided by five main objectives:
to further sensitise the public to the risks of tobacco smoking
to support and promote anti-smoking activities of groups/agencies geared towards the reduction of smoking in communities
to be an advocacy and lobby group for policy issues, such as legislation, taxation and levies
to be a watch group for the control of messages that promote tobacco smoking
to support measures for the rehabilitation of smokers
Beside the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, seven other health-related groups comprise the Coalition the Association of General Practitioners, Caribbean College of Family Physicians, Caribbean Public Health Association, Diabetes Association of Jamaica, Jamaica Cancer Society, Nurses Association of Jamaica and the Medical Association of Jamaica.
