457In Washington, the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation received the Youth Advocates of the Year Awards from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for the strengthening of anti-tobacco legislation and the fight against the spread of smoking. The award was presented to Mykhailo Radutskyi, Chairman of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Health Insurance and Lada Bulakh, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Epidemic Safety, HIV/AIDS, and Socially Dangerous Diseases.
This year, the organizers specifically recognized Ukraine’s achievements in strengthening tobacco control measures, including legislative actions. The Ukrainian delegation was presented with a special accolade, the “Champion” award, for the “courage of Ukrainian human rights defenders and politicians who have made tremendous progress in combating tobacco use despite challenging circumstances.”
“Our people stand strong against the invasion. We know we will win. However, even as we fight this war, we do not lose sight that there are other threats against our people that we must defeat. Even now, the tobacco companies continue to operate, to market their products and lobby their interests, at the expense of our health. But we – Ukrainian advocates, parliament, and government – are moving forward to create and implement policies that will make our country better for all Ukrainians, now and long after our victory. I am proud to say that our tobacco control law is popular and effective. Much of this is thanks to the strong efforts of our civil society. Their support was essential to the passage of this law, as was the assistance of international organizations like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids”, – said Lada Bulakh during the award ceremony.
Representatives from the international organization Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, including Matt Myers, Yolanda Richardson, and Joshua Abrams, praised Ukraine’s progress in the fight against smoking. They specifically mentioned the Committee on National Health’s Law No. 1978-IX on protecting public health from the harmful effects of tobacco, which was passed by Parliament in December 2021. The law’s development also involved experts from the Advocacy Center “Life”. The organization, dedicated to combating tobacco use worldwide, was impressed that even during the war with Russia, Ukraine managed to adopt and implement laws that meet high international health protection standards.
It should be noted that as of July 11, 2022, the provisions of the anti-tobacco Law 1978-IX, which strengthened existing restrictions in smoke-free legislation, came into effect. The law expanded the list of places where smoking is prohibited and determined that heating tobacco products (HTPs) along with tobacco heating devices are also prohibited in those areas, in addition to hookahs, tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes.
“I would like to emphasize that the main goal is to protect youth from the marketing tactics of tobacco product manufacturers and smoking devices,” – emphasized Mykhailo Radutskyi, Chairman of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance.
This year, over 400 leaders in public health, government officials, lawmakers, activists from civil society organizations, philanthropists, and donors were invited to the United States to celebrate progress in the global fight against tobacco. The awards were presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to combating tobacco addiction worldwide, as well as to the most generous philanthropists supporting the international initiative.
