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The 12nd National Conference on Tobacco or Health : Tactics of the Tobacco Industry
Date: 3 5 July 2013 Venue : The Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bangkok
Background : The National Conference on Tobacco or Health is for knowledge exchange among participants of tobacco consumption control networks including academic staff, researchers, lecturers, public and private authorities, civil society, and the general public to participate and exchange information on tobacco control gained from the previous year to be used to foster better tobacco consumption control performance in the future.

In 2013, WHO issued the slogan, Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship to member countries and the international community. Thailand embraced this approach as well, and provided similar direction, creating its own slogan, No use, acceptance, or support of tobacco advertisements that destroy lives. This is one of the tobacco control provisionsto be undertakenin compliance with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Article 13 which has stated that: (1) All member parties shall understand that a comprehensive prohibition on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship by tobacco companies will help to reduce tobacco consumption, (2) All member parties shall enact a comprehensive prohibition on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship by tobacco companies according to the provisions of their nations Constitution and legislation in line with regulation and techniques that parties are able to adopt in practice. This also includes a comprehensive prohibition of tobacco advertising across borders, tobacco promotion and sponsorship by tobacco companies starting with parties own promises that member parties would institute enforcement 5 years after the adoption of the convention. Moreover, all member parties should follow legislative measures or suitable administrative measures, (3) All member parties shall collaborate to eliminate tobacco advertisement across borders, and (4) Parties shall consider extending this convention by using a protocol on appropriate measures of international cooperation for a comprehensive prohibition on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship by tobacco companies across borders.

Therefore, it is a challenge to work on tobacco control and it callsfor commitment from social institutions, the public and private sectors, and the general public including the mass media to collaborate together in establishing tobacco control roles and responsibilities in order to follow the purpose of the slogan of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health this year. This slogan also includes providing tobacco cessation services and smoke free environments. This academic conference hasas one of its goals that all participants and relevant people will be mobilized to take an active role for tobacco control in Thailand.

Therefore, the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC), Mahidol University, together with the Thai Health Professional Alliance Against Tobacco, the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand, Thailand Health Promotion Institute (THPI), Thailand National Quitline, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) support the 12th National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship aiming to exchange knowledge and encourage working together in order to drive public policies and to foster better tobacco consumption control performance in the future.