The MPOWER/FCTC training course provides a basic understanding of the six elements of MPOWER interventions and equips participants with skills necessary to develop and implement effective tobacco control policies based on the FCTC.

The MPOWER elements:

M – Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies

P – Protect people from tobacco smoke

O – Offer help to quit tobacco use

W – Warn about the dangers of tobacco

E – Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship

R – Raise taxes on tobacco

The workshop content is based on relevant FCTC Article guidelines, available policy recommendations, global best practices and lessons learnt under appropriate policy areas.

The workshops are especially in high demand in Latin America, where progress towards tobacco control is met with legal challenges. This workshop is available in other regions upon request.

This training addresses the background and rationale for smokefree environments and shares best practices and lessons learnt from the successful implementation of comprehensive smokefree legislation around the world. Topics cover obligations under FCTC Article 8, development of smokefree legislation, engagement of civil society and public support, working with media, countering tobacco industry arguments and tactics, and implementation strategies to ensure high compliance with legislation.
Participants learn how to apply these lessons in the contexts of their own jurisdictions, including developing action plans to adopt, implement and enforce smokefree laws.
The Union has developed a separate training for countries that have advanced their tobacco control laws to the implementation stage. Details of course offerings in Smokefree implementation and enforcement are listed separately.

This training covers the technical, policy and legislative considerations for regulating tobacco packaging and labelling, including graphic warning labels, misleading terminology and plain packaging outlined in article 11 of the FCTC. The course draws on the experience of jurisdictions that have implemented effective packaging policies to address development of legislation; design and testing of potential images and labels; countering tobacco industry arguments and tactics; and implementation, promotion and evaluation of packaging measures.

The course can be adapted to focus on any of these areas in more detail, depending on the needs of participants. Participants will develop an action plan based on their particular country situation.

This workshop focuses on the adoption and implementation of legislation to comprehensively ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), as required by Article 13 of the FCTC.

The workshop looks at the ways in which the tobacco industry promotes its products and brands, examines how to avoid loopholes exploited by the industry and provides examples of global best practice. It facilitates effective strategic planning for banning TAPS, including assessment of the country situation and development of legislative responses. Participants gain practical skills to help them advocate for such policies in their countries.

This workshop addresses the impact of tobacco price and affordability on consumption, types of tobacco taxes, administration of taxes and the myths used by the tobacco industry to deter increases in tobacco taxes.

Participants will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to counter myths and to build a successful dialogue with ministries of finance to implement tobacco taxes and other related fiscal policies required by article 6 of the FCTC. The course is accessible to participants without a specific tax or economic background, but also provides detailed information and discussion that will be useful to those responsible for the administration of fiscal policies related to tobacco.