The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: one law, two different practices?
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(2020) 20:26
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: one law, two different practices? Barbara Pavlikova1*
and Jitse P. van Dijk2,3,4
Abstract Background: The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was ratified in 2004 in Slovakia and in 2005 in Finland. The aim of this study was to compare the implementation of the FCTC in the national laws and policies regarding smoking in Finland and Slovakia. Methods: In this case study the following areas are compared: the legal framework; the monitoring system and health promotion; treatment; and policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption. We report on these in this order after a short historical introduction. Results: The legal frameworks are similar in Slovakia and in Finland. Finland far exceeds the minimum legal requirements. Slovakian regulations reflect the FCTC requirements; however, social tolerance is very high. In Finland the monitoring system and health promotion are aimed more at tobacco consumption. Slovakia does not follow the surveillance plans recommended by WHO so strictly; often there are no current data available. No additional documents regarding the FCTC have been adopted in Slovakia. The financial contribution to treatment is very low. Slovakian tobacco control policy is more focused on repression than on prevention, in contrast to Finland. Smoking bans meet European standards. Excise duties rise regularly in both countries. Conclusion: Implementation of the FCTC is at different levels in the compared countries. Finland has a clear plan for achieving the goal of a smoking-free country. Slovakia meets only the minimum standard required for fulfillment of its international obligations. Its policy should become more transparent by making more up-to-date data available. Keywords: Slovakia, Finland, FCTC, Comparison
Background Smoking is one of the most serious risk factors affecting the incidence and prevalence of major contemporary diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality [1, 2]. Projections show smoking could cause mortality of one billion victims in the twenty-first century [3, 4]. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 smokers start smoking during * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Labor Law and Social Security Law, Faculty of Law, Comenius University, Šafárikovo námestie č. 6, P. O. BOX 313, 810 00 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
their teens, and if they smoke for the next 20 years, their life expectancy is 20 to 25 years shorter than that of non-smokers [5]. Before the adoption of the FCTC a growing number of smokers existed, especially in the group of teenage girls and women under 25 years. Tobacco kills more people than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined [6, 7]. However, based on the FCTC, the policy progress achieved between 2007 and 2010 is forecasted to result in about 7.5 million fewer smokingrelated deaths by 2050 [8]. Slovakia and Finland are comparable countries with
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