Tobacco trends in Slovenia

Initiating legislative change

In recent months, the SCTC submitted a number of important initiatives and proposals to effect legal and executive changes and amendments to the existing Slovenian Restriction of the use of Tobacco Act. They represent an interesting example of how health NGOs can effectively collaborate with government stakeholders. EPHA provides a brief overview of these suggestions:

1. Firstly, the SCTC supports the introduction of the so-called ’’Tobacco Euro’’, by way of a new excise duty on tobacco products, to achieve its goals of better long-term health prevention and raising public awareness of the dangers of smoking. This Tobacco Euro, supported by the majority of Slovenians, would not raise the price of tobacco products but generate revenue from their sale (recommended amounts are 0.05€ per cigarette, cigar or cigarillo, 5.00€ per kg of cut cigarette rag, and 3.00€ per kg of other smoking tobacco). These revenues would then be managed by the Slovenian Health Council in collaboration with the national government’s Ministry of Health.

2. Secondly, following the example of Ireland and in order to discourage sales, the SCTC supports the setting up of registered specialised retail outlets for tobacco products. This would go hand in hand with a complete ban on their public display and advertising. The registered shops would have to pay royalty payments which would serve to fund the Office for Tobacco Control (OTC, the NGO body in charge of implementing the Restriction on the use of Tobacco Act) while simultaneously contributing to the Tobacco Euro account.

3. Thirdly, the SCTC proposed the establishment of the ’’NGOs Protect Our Health’’ Foundation, a public-law entity funded by the Tobacco Euro. The foundation’s raison d’être would be targeted (co-)funding of health NGOs programmes for the protection and promotion of health, as well as the provision of educational activities to prevent chronic transmittable diseases and risk factors. Its Board would bring together public health experts from academia, professional associations, government, NGOs and interested members of the public.

Changing attitudes

Slovenia’s tobacco prices are currently amongst the lowest in Europe and although this will likely change as a result of EU directives, if adopted these proposals will reinforce the message that tobacco is harmful to users (and those subject to the effects of passive smoking), and it may well represent a major step towards a change of mentality regarding public and legislative tolerance of tobacco in Slovenia.

EPHA related articles:

 Spotlight on Slovenian Coalition for Tobacco Control (SCTC)
 Slovenian ’’NGOs Protect our Health’’ network
 New Slovenian public health platform: the Slovene Coalition for Public Health
 The Slovenian presidency launches a portal for NGOs