Annual report 2023 | Громадська організація "ЖИТТЯ"

Annual report

2023

Introductory speech by Dmytro Kupyra, Executive Director of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE

On behalf of the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE, I primarily would like
to thank the Ukrainian Defense Forces for the opportunity to act for the sake of
preserving and restoring the human capital of Ukraine.

russia’s war against Ukraine has caused tectonic demographic changes. In order
to preserve and restore human capital, it is extremely important for Ukraine to
reduce the prevalence of behavioral risk factors for serious non-communicable
diseases, which can be avoided.

In 2023, our team managed to defend the implementation of key European
integration provisions of the Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Law No. 1978,
which was advocated by ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE together with partners.
On July 11, prohibition of advertising, sales promotion and sponsorship of
devices for heating tobacco, electronic cigarettes and liquids to them began to
take effect, and prohibition of flavored cigarettes and liquids to e-cigarettes
came into force. Besides, the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE identified
two tobacco companies that were listed in the register of International sponsors of the war.

In the field of protecting the population from harm of tobacco and nicotine, our
goal remains unchanged: to create conditions under which children and young
people in Ukraine will not have incentives to use narcotic tobacco or nicotine
products. The next important step should be achievement of Ukraine’s European
integration obligations on excise taxes on tobacco products, as well as
prohibition of showing of tobacco and nicotine in places of trade and
elimination of preferences in advertising for electronic smoking devices and
nicotine products.

To improve awareness about dangers of tobacco and nicotine use and other risk
factors that cause cardiovascular diseases, in 2023, the team of ADVOCACY
CENTER LIFE implemented a powerful information campaign “Stand guard
over your heart”.

So, we continue to work to protect the population from tobacco in order to
protect the human capital that Ukraine needs in our near future. We express our
deep gratitude to our Ukrainian and foreign partners for their support and hope
for effective cooperation in the future.

Dmytro Kupyra
Executive Director of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE

Mission

Improve the well-being, security, and potential of people through effective civic representation, influence on legislation and policy, especially in the field of public health.

Vision

Life expectancy and quality of life in Ukraine are increasing. The authorities take into account the interests of public health when making any political decisions. The state protects at the highest level the right of every person to health and development of their personality.

Successes and achievements of the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE in 2023

On July 11, 2023, the Comprehensive Anti-smoking Law No. 1978-IX came into force, aimed at protecting children and youth from being attracted to smoking, adoption of which was advocated by the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE together with partners

In 2023, the following provisions of the Law came into force, the implementation of which was supported by the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE:

prohibition of advertising, promotion of sales and sponsorship of devices for heating tobacco, electronic cigarettes and liquids to them;
prohibition of sale of flavored cigarettes and liquids for electronic cigarettes (sale of remains is allowed until July 11, 2024);
the requirements for the content of refueling containers and liquids for electronic cigarettes;
the reporting requirements for manufacturers and importers of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, refueling containers and liquids to them.

The awareness of business entities and the population about new anti- smoking standards has been improved

On the occasion of entry into force of the comprehensive prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, devices for heating tobacco, electronic cigarettes, filling containers and liquids to them, as well as the prohibition of flavored cigarettes and liquids to electronic cigarettes, in accordance with the Law No. 1978-IX, the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE in cooperation with the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection conducted an information campaign on the requirements of the legislation

At the request of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE, two transnational tobacco companies are included into the register of international sponsors of the war

On August 24, 2023, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention included tobacco companies Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International into the list of international sponsors of the war. This happened at the request of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE. Thus, two tobacco companies received a reputational blow and got into the World-Check database used by global companies to assess risks.

A plan has been developed to achieve the EU minimum excise tax level for tobacco products (EUR 90 per 1,000 pieces) in 2024-25

In order to achieve the European integration requirements of Directive 2011/64/EU, the specialists of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE developed and presented the “Analytical report on the possibilities of increasing the excise tax on tobacco products to achieve the requirements of Directive 2011/64/EU until 2025”. The developed proposals provide for implementation of European integration obligations for the early integration of Ukraine into the family of the European Union and will provide an additional 36 billion UAH of revenues for 2024-2025 to the state budget of Ukraine in case of their urgent adoption.

Expert support has been provided in the design of a draft law banning showing of tobacco and nicotine products in places of trade

The team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE joined to the development of the draft law of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection “On amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Measures to Prevent and Reduce the Use of Tobacco Products and Their Harmful Effects on Public Health” on prohibition of visible placement of tobacco products and some other products in retail outlets”, which was submitted for public discussion and it was supported by the public.

In accordance with the Guidelines of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the provisions of the draft law provide for the protection of children and young people from a key channel of attraction to start smoking.

The capacity of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection experts to monitor compliance with tobacco legislation was increased

On September 14-15, 2023, the team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE in partnership with the WHO Country Office in Ukraine and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection held a two-day seminar for more than 30 specialists of the territorial bodies of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection in order to update the challenges and ensure a high level of control over compliance with anti-smoking legislation to ensure the highest level of protection of the population, in particular, children and youth from the harm of tobacco and nicotine.

The production of cigarettes for duty-free is prohibited

On October 1, 2023, the Law No. 3326-IX “On Amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine and Other Laws of Ukraine on Countering Illicit Trafficking in Tobacco Products” came into force, which prohibited, during martial law, to produce duty-free and sell in duty-free shops (the so-called “duty-free”) tobacco products and liquids for e-cigarettes. Since 2018, experts of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE have emphasized the need for such a solution to eliminate the main source of illegal trade in tobacco products in Ukraine.

Awareness of the population about behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases has been improved as part of the information campaign “Stand on Guard of Your Heart”

An information campaign “Stand guard over your heart” was conducted with a focus on the population aged 35–55 years from Lviv, Rivne, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The Company’s materials, which were distributed on the Internet, on the air of national and regional TV channels, by the Ukrainian railways network and in regional medical institutions, received more than 30 million viewings. A survey conducted after the end of the campaign’s showed that its materials encourage respondents to reconsider their behaviors and discuss the information received with other people

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023 has been conducted

The team of ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE has implemented a Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index in Ukraine. In 2023, Ukraine rose by 20 points in the ranking, which demonstrates significant progress in protecting its policy from interference by the tobacco industry.

Awareness of youth about the harmful effects of hookah on health has been raised

The information campaign “No Smoking Friendly. Hookah smoking is harmful to your health” was conducted. The awareness of young people about the dangers of hookahs for health was improved.

The level of awareness of schoolchildren about healthy diet has been increased

Support was provided to the regional Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in the implementation of the project “Five steps to a healthy diet” in schools. As a result, the level of awareness of all participants in the educational process (students, teachers, parents) about the importance of a healthy diet, formation, culture of encouraging healthy choices and careful attitude toward their health has been increased.

For the first time in Ukraine, a study of food products for the content of trans fats was conducted

Within the framework of the FEEDCities project, with the support of the WHO Office in Ukraine, an analysis of 120 popular food products for the content of trans fatty acids, salt, and potassium was carried out. The ability of control bodies to ensure compliance with legislation and the formation of a healthy nutrition policy has been strengthened.

Results of work in figures

The information campaign “No Smoking Friendly”

The information campaign “Stand on Guard of Your Heart”

Working with media

Designed materials

Analytics

Infographics

Videos:

Support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

6 laptops were handed over to military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The all-Ukrainian partnership network

In 2023, ADVOCACY CENTER LIFE strengthened cooperation with regional public health centers, conducted joint information campaigns and established new formats of cooperation with the network of centers for disease control and prevention, as well as improved the ability of communities to contribute to reducing the prevalence of behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases through sub-grants.