Tobacco Control Policy in Southeast Asia

Continued, coordinated, and intensified actions must be taken now by governments and civil society to invest in tobacco control measures and counteract the harms being inflicted by the irresponsible, profit-motivated tobacco industry.

We need to:

Establish tobacco tax systems that more effectively reduce tobacco affordability and discourage consumption.

 	
Strengthen national policies and enforcement of smoke-free environments.
 	
Increase awareness on the harms of tobacco use through prominent pictorial health warnings and the implementation of plain/standardized packaging on tobacco products.
 	
Strengthen laws/policies banning tobacco marketing, including tobacco industry sponsored corporate social responsibility activities.
 	
Conduct regional campaigns to de-normalize the tobacco industry and increase awareness of tobacco industry tactics among governments, civil society, and the general public.

In addition, tobacco use is a main risk factor for chronic, non-communicable diseases, which often affect the elderly. Tobacco tax revenues that finance health promotion and health care services also benefit the elderly. Thus, they would benefit from effective tobacco control measures.