Dr. Aida Ramic-Catak - Country project manager (CPM)
Federal Institute of Public Health
Health Promotion Department
National Tobacco Control Meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Banja Luka, 29 May 2007.
As Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed from two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska as also District Br?ko, tobacco control legislation is enforced on entity level, with some differences between its legislation scope and measures, particularly related to price, taxation, tobacco growing policy.
Significant part of discussion have been focused on enforcement of documents of Tobacco Control Strategies in both entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, with need to be persistent in implementation of those documents by entity governments, particularly related harmonisation of legislation, price and taxation policy and financing a tobacco prevention services and health promotion campaigns from part of taxes collected from tobacco products. Particularly as it was concluded that high tobacco prevalence in Bosnia in Herzegovina is caused by low price and high availability of tobacco products, required a urgent measure of price increasing of tobacco products in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the end, it was concluded and recommended by all participants that main effort by stakeholders involved in tobacco control should be to facilitate for decision of FCTC ratification from state level, through approval from Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina and State Ministries, in support and collaboration of WHO Regional office Copenhagen.