MACT sensitizes and mobilises the communities on tobacco control initiatives at the state and national level through the network support of schools, like minded organisations and children movement. MACT has been successful in influencing the government to reinforce the pictorial warning on tobacco products.
MACT is involved in Research Activities on tobacco control by conducting compliance study, opinion polls, socio – economic status of beedi workers in Trichy district, air quality monitoring etc.
MACT has also published books and video documentaries on tobacco
- Tobacco Demon – Story book: MACT has published story books which contains short stories that explain the hazards of tobacco usage, for easy understanding of the children.
- Avoid – a short film on evils of smoking.
- 3rd World war – A Documentary - A strong advocacy and sensitization tool on tobacco control.
- Vergalin Kural - a newsletter run by children
Networks established
CFTFW - MACT initiated the CFTFW (Children’s Federation For Tobacco Free World) which aims at reaching out to the children groups in the communities in equipping them with the skills, information and support to eradicate the evils of tobacco from the society. CFTFW involves in organizing mass programs on generating awareness and problems and issues around the evils of tobacco consumption. It supports the children groups in their fight to effective implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (CFTFW) constantly works to motivate and inspire children to participate in the vision to create a tobacco free world.
CAT – Children Against Tobacco (CAT) is a student movement to work towards a tobacco free environment. It is a school based movement with voluntary membership to create awareness on the evils of tobacco. Through a student body it aims at developing responsible citizens for the future generation through intensive sensitization in the movement activities. It creates good-will ambassadors and advocates to fight against tobacco.
Cessation Centres.
The huge increase of tobacco users , the focus of tobacco control should not only be on prevention, regulation and enforcements but tobacco cessation initiatives to reduce current use. The services offered at the centre include individual intervention in the form of behavioural counselling, medication, and nicotine replacement therapy. The centres also intend to create awareness among the target communities about the negative effects of tobacco and about tobacco cessation through awareness programs, exhibitions, training programs on tobacco cessation.
MACT has 2 cessation centres set up at Rajalipatti and Tirutheni. Chronic tobacco users are admitted here and provided treatment for de – addiction. Registered medical practitioners and trained counsellors are appointed to provide professional medical support to the inmates.
Smoke free Jurisdictions
The Control of Tobacco Products Act, commonly known as COTPA, came into effect in 2004. The Act covers prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production supply and distribution of tobacco products. The rules, which officially become law on October 2nd, 2008, do not allow smoking in any public places where non-smokers may be present. Public places include workplaces, shopping malls, airports, bus and train stations, hotels, cinema halls, shops and restaurants.
The process involved in declaring smoke free districts were:
- To examine the level and nature of compliance with the Smoke Free legislation in the districts through documenting case studies combining unobtrusive observation.
- To understand the factors which explain differences in compliance
- To assess the implications for public health policy and practice.
- To assess effectiveness of the monitoring system for Smoke Free districts.
MACT who believes in providing a safe and tobacco free environment for the health and well being of its community and thus involved in campaigning and advocating the state and national level policies to ban smoking in public places, MACT has provided training for the implementers on the effective implementation. MACT through its network support has successfully declared Coimbatore and Villupuram as tobacco free jurisdictions. It also plans to covers more districts in the coming year.
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Tobacco control campaign
