In Romania and generally in Eastern Europe after the social and economic reforms that took place from 1989 death rate and morbidity patterns, which relates to tobacco products consumption have considerably changed. New issues became manifest in the tobacco market, which was, at that time, fed only by the internal production. Opening the borders have meant for the multinational companies then the finding of a new, empty market, thus appropriate for placing their products.

The statistics do still not comprise the real dimensions of smoking, individually and socially, within the Romanian society and it is for the moment a real need for evaluation from the point of view of consequences, to health, to the social life, to the environment and maybe first of all to the economy of the country.

There are at present various very active actors into the anti-tobacco field. Representatives of governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, mass-media even private institutions are more and more interested in smoking prevention and, actually, make significant efforts in anti-tobacco campaigns. In spite of some attempts of establishing of a real communication and some partnerships, it is still not the situation of a solid alliance on the anti-tobacco field.

Motivation:
 
 

• Low interest of Romanian politicians mass media to the tobacco related problems.
• Low interest of Romanian mass media to the tobacco related problems.
• Low education of the general population to the tobacco related problems.
• Need to gain support for a strong FCTC from decision makers and the general public.
• Needs of the Romanian tobacco control movement to be on line with FCTC regulations.
• Lack of specializations training in the Faculties of Medicine in Romania
• Low number of physicians implied in the smoking cessation and lack of interest for this domain
• Lack of skills and resources in this field

My intention is to follow the 10 points of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control regarding:

1. Advertising
2. Smuggling
3. Pack markings
4. Health before trade
5. Prohibit misleading claims and descriptors
6. Abandon the ISO methodology
7. Increase taxes
8. Close down duty free
9. The right to smoke free life
10. End all forms of subsidy to tobacco

Results:

All reports will be presented by my organization, AER PUR ROMANIA, to all Romanian politicians and media showing the steps that our country and region must follow for joining the global world and European movement for regulating tobacco production and consumption.

This kind of research was never done in Romania and my opinion is that Romania represents in this moment a very good model for studying all Tobacco Industry strategies for penetrating a new market including influencing political factors.

Tacking in to account that I was accepted for one fellowship position for the Visiting Scholars Programme organized by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) for studying BAT Guildford documents supplemented with Internet searches for Philip Morris documents, I will complete my research with this one.

This project will be also focused more on the CEE region not only for Romania because in this way the result can underline better the global influence of the Tobacco Industry.