We will be talking about some important anti-tobacco organizations and their activities.

　The U.S.government released the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health in 1964 and started the task of tobacco control.In Taiwan, even in the 1980's, the understanding of the danger of tobacco was still lacking, and anti-tobacco movements were generally faced with many obstacles.It wasn't until 1984 when the John Tung Foundation was formed.This organization actively pushed for anti-secondhand smoke activities.It also created the Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco (APACT), in an attempt to gather the medical, academic, and environmental experts to lead the way for Taiwan's anti-tobacco activities.They aimed to plant the seed of "refusing to breathe second-hand smoke" in the general public's mind.

The Alliance of Anti-Tobacco fought with foreign tobacco companies. (Picture from JTF)

　Unfortunately, when Taiwan opened its market to foreign tobacco products in 1987, with the slick marketing of these foreign tobacco products, the rate of tobacco usage in Taiwan kept increasing every year.The effect on adolescents under the age of 18 was the most severe.To fight back, the John Tung Foundation gathered 21 civilian groups, including the Consumer's Foundation, New Environment Foundation, and Homemaker's Union and Foundation, to form the APACT.On one hand it was preventing the invasion of foreign tobacco products; on the other hand it proposed the Tobacco Control and Prevention Act, as it urged the government to sign it into law to prevent any advertisement of tobacco products.

　　In the 1990's, the civilian organizations were still continuing their efforts on anti-tobacco activities.These groups were involved in the decision of the Department of Defense to stop distributing cigarettes in the military in 1991.In 1996, after the negotiations between the U.S.tobacco industry and various state governments fell through, coupled with the constant reporting of tobacco-related lawsuits all over the world, the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan finally passed the Tobacco Control and Prevention Act on March 4, 1997.It was announced on the 19th of the same month, and it became effective on September 19 of the same year.After almost 10 years of persuasion, the Tobacco Control and Prevention Act was finally passed.It was an important milestone in Taiwan's anti-tobacco movement history.

　　Thereafter, several civilian organizations, with the John Tung Foundation leading the way, started to push for the addition of the "health welfare donation" to the price of cigarettes. They asked that a portion of this fund be set aside specifically for tobacco control efforts. However, this move soon triggered a backlash from the other countries, who vowed to apply economic sanctions against Taiwan and would interfere with Taiwan's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). Taiwan's government and legislators were faced with enormous pressure at that time. It wasn't until the 173 non-government organizations collectively petitioned to support the law, and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) publicly cleared the air and showed its support for a health-related tobacco tariff right before the World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 1999, did Taiwan finally pass the law and started collecting the "health welfare donation". It hoped to use a higher cigarette price to bring the total volume down.

The activity of anti-tobacco (Picture from JTF)

　　Compared to other countries, the price of cigarette in Taiwan is on the low side, making it one of the obstacles of the task of tobacco control.Raising the price in order to lower the rate of tobacco usage was an inevitable trend.Currently, 10% of the health welfare donation is slated as the tobacco control fund, which is being handled by the Department of Health Bureau of Health Promotion.This government bureau gathered experts from the fields of media, public health, health education, medicine, and consulting to create the Suggestion for Tobacco Control and Prevention Plan, which outlined the main tasks of tobacco control and prevention for the next 5 years.Starting in 2002, they have been working on developing the smoking cessation website, promoting tobacco control and prevention through education and mass media, and establishing research and monitor systems.We are starting to see the results of these government efforts.

　　The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in May of 2003.Taiwan followed suit and approved FCTC on January 14, 2005.In order to accelerate the signing of the Amendment to Tobacco Control and Prevention Act (ATCPA) into law, 102 non-government organizations (NGO's), including the John Tung Foundation and the Consumer's Foundation, combined to form the Taiwan Anti-Tobacco Alliance on May 25, 2005.The major goals of the ATCPA are quite simple and precise.They include raising the "health welfare donation", more strictly controlling cigarette advertisements, more rigorously regulating cigarette warning labels, and banning smoking in all public places.

　On November 9, 2005, the Legislative Yuan voted favorably toward the ATCPA.However, the legislation process hit a major roadblock due to the interference of the tobacco companies and farmers.The anti-tobacco groups vowed not to give up, and they will continue to fight for the legislation of the ATCPA into law.Only then will we finally reach the goal of being tobacco-free.