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RITC Lunch-Time Seminar - June 13, 2001

2001-06-11

Mr. Corné van Walbeek, principal investigator of the Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC)-supported Economics of Tobacco Control project in South Africa, will be in Ottawa on June 13th to present a lunch-time seminar entitled: "Effective Development Policies Require Political Will: The Example of Tobacco Control in South Africa."

With tobacco control legislation similar to that of Australia, Canada and California, South Africa could serve as a model to other countries and researchers from both a tobacco control and policy-making perspective. Through legislation and tax increases, the government has been able to reduce per capita cigarette consumption by about one-third in only eight years. This success involved a complex policy development process from which civil society and researchers stand to learn a great deal.  Solid research about the relevant issues is necessary but not sufficient for effective legislation to be passed: political will and the ability to overcome strong opposition are also required, especially in developing countries where other development issues compete with tobacco control as a priority.

The seminar will highlight some of the policy debates concerning tobacco control in South Africa and indicate their relevance to other developing countries. Mr. van Walbeek will also discuss the consequences of tobacco control policy, specifically the way that it has changed smoking prevalence among different demographic groups in South Africa.

The presentation will be held on Wednesday, June 13th from 12:30 - 2:00 pm at RITC’s headquarters in Ottawa at the International Development Research Centre, 250 Albert Street, 14th floor, Zone Three.

Anyone interested in attending is invited to contact RITC’s Coordinator, Ms. Rosemary Kennedy at : rkennedy@idrc.ca

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