Why this Project Matters
As traditional forms of tobacco advertising become restricted or banned in many countries, the tobacco industry uses the cigarette pack itself as a key marketing method to attract new smokers and retain current ones. The Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed the Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS) project to systematically document the variety of cigarette packages available in the 14 low- and middle-income countries with the greatest number of smokers.
The goal of TPackSS is to monitor whether required health warnings on tobacco packages are being implemented as intended, and to identify pack design features and marketing appeals that might violate or detract from country tobacco packaging requirements in these countries. TPackSS has been developed with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies through the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
TPackSS in Action
TPackSS began with an explanatory and planning phase in 2012 to identify strategic goals and systematic protocols for the project. The initial collection of tobacco packs in all 14 countries took place in 2013. The TPackSS team has conducted subsequent data collection in countries as they have implemented new health warning label requirements (2015-2016).
What the Site Offers
Our site offers a searchable database of the tobacco packs, as well as information about health warning label requirements and compliance with these requirements. In addition, we include publications from TPackSS findings and other related resources. It is our goal that the site will support advocacy for full implementation of health warning labels that are compliant with country requirements and that are aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 11 Guidelines.
Investigators
Dr. Katherine Clegg Smith (co-principal investigator), Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior & Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Joanna Cohen (co-principal investigator), Bloomberg Professor of Disease Prevention and director of IGTC at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Project Team
Dr. Kevin Welding, Assistant Scientist
Sejal Saraf, Senior Research Program Coordinator
In-country Collaborators
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP)
Brazil: ACTbr, Aliança de Controle do Tabagismo
China: RisingSun Marketing Research & Consulting
Egypt: AskConsultant for Family Health
India: Healis Sekhsaria Institute For Public Health
Indonesia: Tobacco Control Support Center
Mexico: Departamento de Investigación sobre Tabaco Instituto de Salud Publica
Pakistan: Dr. Amina Khan, The Initiative, CEO and Public Health Consultant
Philippines: GoodThinking Research, Inc.
Thailand: Dr. William Kittredge, Cervelet Consulting LLC President
Turkey: Dr. Asli Carkoglu, Kadir Has University
Ukraine: Life Regional Advocacy Center
Viet Nam: Milestones Company, Ltd