Marking the 20^th anniversary of the Polish Anti-Tobacco Law

In May 2016 Poland celebrated the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the Polish Anti-Tobacco Law, lauded at the time by the World Health Organisation as an “example to the rest of the world” [1]. In the previous issue of the Journal of Health Inequalities we presented the historical background of the Polish anti-tobacco movement, whose efforts culminated with the enactment of the Polish Anti-Tobacco Law [2], as well as the social and public health impact of the legislation [3].
The Health Promotion Foundation (Fundacja “Promocja Zdrowia”), in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, marked the 20th anniversary of the Polish Anti-Tobacco Law by organising a series of events bringing together key figures involved in promoting smoke-free policies and healthy behaviours in Poland, including clinicians, scientists, politicians, public health advocates, journalists, social workers, and industry representatives. On 18 May 2016 the “Conference on Smoke-free Poland” was held in the Column Hall of the Ministry of Health in Warsaw. On 31 May 2016, World No Tobacco Day, a witness seminar on Polish anti-tobacco legislation took place in the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate in Warsaw. These events gave an opportunity to engage in an open debate about the past achievements of tobacco control in Poland, and its future directions. It is our pleasure to present the reports from the conference and the seminar, as well as their key messages.

Disclosure

Author reports no conflict of interest.

References

1. Blanke DD, de Costa e Silva V. Tools for advancing tobacco control in the 21st century. Tobacco Control Legislation: An introductory guide. World Health Organization, Geneva 2004.
2. Zatoński M. Poland’s anti-tobacco advocacy – a historical outline. J Health Inequal 2016; 2: 26-31.
3. Zatoński M, Zatoński WA, Przewoźniak K, et al. The significance and impact of the Polish Anti-tobacco Law. J Health Inequal 2016; 2: 32-35.