Update on letter campaigns (Russia, Nigeria, Uganda)

[Anna White]

Dear Friends,

Here are some updates on various letter campaigns that GPTC has promoted
over the past half year. On behalf of our colleagues in Russia, Nigeria,
and Uganda, thanks for participating!

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NIGERIA: Stop BAT -- Declare All Africa Games Tobacco-Free! (September
2003)
http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/gptc/2003q3/000079.html

The All African Games ended on Saturday. All along we requested to meet
the organisers but they never granted the request. The good news is that
BAT stayed away from the games and all the social events. The campaign
received overwhelming reports in the media. There were reports of the
campign on tv till friday. This has futher pushed tobacco control issues
in the country. We are going to concentrate more energy now on getting
Nigeria to sign the FCTC. I am using this medium to thank you and
everybody that responded by endorsing the petition. It was a wondefrul
tool for advocacy.

Olufemi Akinbode
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth - Nigeria

####

2) RUSSIA: Stop Criminal Investigation of Tobacco Control Advocate (July
2003)
http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/gptc/2003q3/000070.html

Thanks for your help. Our campaign was fruitful after all. Criminal
investigation is stopped. When you address your network please express
my gratitude for help. This example shows that international support is
a real power.

Tatiana Andreeva, MD, PhD
Project Director
ADIC-Ukraine

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3) NIGERIA: Categorize Tobacco as a "Drug" (July 2003)
http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/gptc/2003q3/000062.html

The campaign so far has had an impact on the NAFDAC bureaucracy. Sequel
to the commencement of the campaigns, my organization, PADDI, was
invited to a meeting with the Legal Department of NAFDAC where we
clarified to them the need to extend NAFDAC's regulatory activities to
the tobacco industry. PADDI is now preparing a formal letter to NAFDAC
supplying them with the neccessary legal backings to allow for the
regulation of the tobacco industry. PADDI secured a mini-grant from the
American Cancer Society (ACS) to publish a youth focused mini-magazine
on tobacco related cancer. The petition is also printed in this magazine
and Nigerian youths have also been petitioning NAFDAC on this same
issue. We are really grateful to you for the overwhelming response to
this petition which has enabled us attain this level of success so far.

Eze Eluchie
Executive Director
People Against Drug Dependence & Ignorance (PADDI)

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4) UGANDA: Strengthen Warning Labels in Uganda (March 2003)
http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/gptc/2003q1/000033.html

You may recall that Uganda National Bureau of Standards had proposed
"cigarette smoking is harmful to your health," in response to which many
of you signed an online petition. Following your objections, I was
invited by the Minister for Industry and Technology and I made a
presentation on warning labels from around the world. At the end of the
presentation, the Minister directed that the Bureau reconvenes a meeting
of the technical committee to review my presentation and improve the
warning label.

Phillip Karugaba
The Environmental Action Network, Ltd
Uganda

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Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: tobacco@essential.org
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco