Jordan strengthens prohibitions on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Jordan, which first began to implement tobacco control measures more than 30 years ago, further strengthened its restrictions on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in 2008. All tobacco advertising and marketing activities had in theory been banned starting in 1977, but enforcement of these and other tobacco control provisions was generally weak. Although the ban on marketing and promotion of tobacco products was adequately enforced, the judiciary tended not to prosecute violations vigorously and frequently imposed only the minimum permissible penalties, thus leading to widespread violations.
The 2008 legislation clarified and strengthened the wording of Jordan’s tobacco control laws, dedicated additional resources to tobacco control, and increased training of tobacco control programme staff. Additionally, the law added several new provisions to limit point-of-sale tobacco marketing, including bans on the sale of individual cigarettes and sales through vending machines. To strengthen enforcement, the ministry of health trained 35 health promotion coordinators regarding the tobacco control legislation, practical and suitable methods for enforcing and implementing the law, and procedures for inspections. These coordinators have broad authority to warn and educate people about the law, confiscate any prohibited promotional materials, and initiate judicial proceedings to enforce the laws.
The capital city of Amman, where the full range of tobacco promotional activities used to be pervasive, was selected to pilot these new provisions. In Amman today, print and electronic media are now free from tobacco advertising, tobacco billboards are gone, there is no tobacco sponsorship of sports or cultural activities, and tobacco vending machines have disappeared. This successful model for enforcing advertising and marketing bans is now ready to be expanded to the rest of the country.
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