Tobacco Control

The Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control (JCTC) was formed on World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2002.

Cigarette-smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, leading to cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and complications in diabetes. The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. The JCTC works closely with Government, non-Government and other allied health organizations to encourage abstinence, minimize tobacco use and work toward de-normalizing the use of all tobacco and nicotine products in Jamaica. The JCTC’s secretariat is situated at the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, from which activities and other functions are planned and executed.

Vision

A tobacco free Jamaica

Mission

De-normalizing the use of tobacco and all nicotine products

Member organizations

• Association of Consultant Physicians
• Association of General Practitioners
• Caribbean Cardiac Society
• Caribbean College of Family Physicians, Jamaica Chapter
• Diabetes Association of Jamaica
• Heart Foundation of Jamaica
• Jamaica Cancer Society
• Jamaica Dental Association
• Jamaica Psychiatric Association
• Medical Association of Jamaica
• Nurses Association of Jamaica

International Affiliation and Achievements

The JCTC is a member of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the Framework Convention Alliance. Over the past 20 years it has worked closely with the Government, health and allied health organizations as well as the media to advocate for smoking abstinence and prevention of tobacco use to maintain a healthy lifestyle. JCTC has demonstrated success in areas such as; advocacy for tobacco control issues, supporting efforts for timely tobacco legislation aligned with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), supporting measures for tobacco cessation, and monitoring messages that promote tobacco smoking. The coalition has also had opportunities to undertake cooperative efforts with Ministries of Health in other CARICOM countries. The JCTC has received numerous grants from regional and international agencies such as the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). Through its projects, JCTC has supported the Ministry of Health in the successful promulgation of the Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations 2013. Other noteworthy successes include; contributions to research leading to several tobacco tax increases and advocacy for meaningful written messages and pictorial images on cigarette packages designed to diminish cigarette smoking- a result of combined efforts of NGOs in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The JCTC has received national and international recognition for its work. These include the Tobacco Control “Champion” Award from International Conference on Public Health Priorities in the 21st Century in September 2013, and at the 4th IAHF Latin American Conference on Tobacco or Health in March 2014.