• The World Conference on Tobacco Or Health (WCTOH) is the one of the most important vehicles for the progress of global tobacco control. Over the years, WCTOH Conferences across the globe have provided relevant new data on addiction, cessation and various epidemiologic issues setting bench marks for new policy and programme setting.
   
• The WCTOH has helped review the status and impact of new tobacco marketing efforts to draft new control programmes and initiate advocacy campaigns.
   
• The development and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has been closely associated with World Conferences.
   
• 13 World Conferences have been held so far out of which 11 have been in developed nations and 2 in developing countries. The first Conference was held in 1967 in New York where Robert F. Kennedy was the central speaker. Since then these Conferences have been held in various other countries such as UK, Sweden, Canada, Japan, Australia, Argentina, US, France and China. Amongst developing countries, the Conference was held last in China in 1997 and now it is being held in India.

• The 14th World Conference on Tobacco Or Health (14th WCTOH) is the largest platform in the world against tobacco and is being held in the world’s largest democracy - India.



• India will be hosting the 14th World Conference on Tobacco Or Health (14th WCTOH) from 8th March to 12th March, 2009 at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai.

Some of the issues which would be discussed in the 5-day Conference are: Global Profile of Health Burdens, Biomarkers of Tobacco Exposure, Tobacco and the Entertainment Industry, Curbing Illicit Trade in Tobacco, Tobacco and Tuberculosis, Challenges in Enforcement of Tobacco Control Laws, Tobacco Threatens Human Development: Economic and Social costs of Tobacco and exploring ways of closing the tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
 

• India is the second largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. Statistics show that the tobacco situation is especially worrisome in less developed countries - the home of 80% of the world's population, which is also the reason for WCTOH to put focus on developing nations like China, Argentina and now in India.
   
• India has never had a large scale tobacco control campaign
   
• Campaigns initiated in the past have not been sustainable and had also lacked long term commitment from top leaders, media, celebrities and social sector.
   
• Inefficient implementation of Government regulations due to lack of political and public will.
   
• Limited number of organizations in the voluntary sector working in the area of tobacco use in India and most of the running campaigns only outline the content of adverts, health warnings, and Tar and Nicotine yields.
   
• Tobacco is used across the length and breadth of the country among all age groups in all forms (smoke less, chewable, cigarettes etc).
   
• A finding of the National Family Health Survey in India has stated that over half of men (57 %) in the age group or 15-49 years use tobacco in some form or the other and over one tenth (10.9 %) of women in this age group also use tobacco. Considering the type of tobacco use practiced, one third of men (33.3 %) smoke and one fourth (23.7 %) use smokeless tobacco or pan masala. Among women, almost ten percent use smokeless tobacco or pan masala, while only 1.6 per cent smoke.
   
• The 14th WCTOH aims to develop interest and awareness in local communities and also build a network for stronger action against tobacco.

• The main objective of the Conference is to initiate and support discussions with various stakeholders on advancing tobacco control policies and providing a global perspective on tobacco control issues.
   
• To provide India with a sustainable tool for advocacy, involvement, awareness and future course direction.
   
• To provide an opportunity for cost effective capacity building and access to training/teaching material.
   
• To serve as a platform for larger number of International organizations to join hands with Indian tobacco control efforts.
   
• To offer an opportunity for learning of new approaches and practices of tobacco control by experts.
   
• To act as a knowledge and information cell to mobilize media & stakeholder involvement.

• Salaam Bombay Foundation
  Salaam Bombay Foundation was established in 2002 and it works primarily with government-run schools, with children from the weakest section of the socio-economic strata. This is the lowest common denominator in the organized education system. It was started on the belief that educating children is the most enduring way of shaping India’s future. The organization has been fighting a crusade to guard the next generation against tobacco and works towards empowering children through life skills training, confidence building and personality development initiatives. It currently runs the largest preventive programme in tobacco control which has already reached out to over 500,000 children through different creative forms. The projects use theatre, film, music, sport, exhibits and interactive workshops as its tools.
   
• Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health
  This institute has rich experience in epidemiologic research and has published numerous seminal research results in international scientific journals. The Institute has several ongoing research projects in International collaborations with prominent institutions. To name a few: Arnold school of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Office on Smoking and Health, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta; International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France; Centre for Global Health Research, University of Toronto, and the Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Oxford.
   
• Action Council against Tobacco - India (ACT- INDIA)
  It is a registered NGO established in 1993. Its objective is to create a 'Tobacco Free Society' in India by preventing non-users of tobacco particularly adolescents from getting addicted to tobacco. It also aims to stop the use of tobacco among those who have the habit.
  
  The organization has undertaken numerous activities at the local and national level to further these objectives. Some of these initiatives are programs on Public Information and education, advocacy and lobbying with policy makers for increased taxation and strong legislative controls for tobacco, conducting workshops for training and developing large number of tobacco control advocates in India. Apart from these, they also provide scientific support to individuals and organizations that fight the tobacco menace.
   
• The Conference is also supported by Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India.