Essay Example on the Tobacco Free Initiative Project

Introduction to the Project

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Tobacco smoking is not only harmful to an individual but also to the environment. Cancer, which is mainly caused by tobacco smoking is among the highest killer diseases in the world (Crawford, 2009). Moreover, a tobacco smoker makes pollutes the environment by making the people around passive smokers. Therefore, it is important to protect the environment because of the health dangers that tobacco smoking causes. In this regard, as a Project Manager in charge of organizing and planning a project, I will write about the Tobacco Free Initiative, an event undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO), which aimed at reducing the number of tobacco smokers to zero through advocating for plain packaging of tobacco products.

In Turkey, the official health care system is governmental. This means that health service are primarily provided for by the Turkish government (WHO, 2015). In this regard, the Ministry of Health in Turkey coordinates all the health care and social welfare services. According to the Turkish constitution, article 60, every individual is entitled to social security. The Turkish government implements the constitution by providing health care and social security services to the public. The government does this by first, building and operating state hospitals. Second, supervising private hospitals (Health Care in Turkey). Third, training medical personnel. Fourth, regulating the price of medical drugs nationwide and finally, controlling drug production and all pharmacies (Oreskes & Conway, 2010). The purpose of the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) is to discourage tobacco smoking in Turkey. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoking is robbing off Turkey its productive citizens (WHO, 2015). The government in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, must stand up and wage total war against tobacco smoking in the country

Project Scope Statement

TFI will accomplish its goal- zero tobacco smoking in Turkey by participating in the World No Tobacco Day 2016, which aims at inducing plain packaging of tobacco cigarettes. The TFI is calling for Turkey to get ready for plain or standardized packaging of tobacco products. The purpose of plain packaging is to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products which consequently will reduce the demand for the product (World No Tobacco Day, 2016). In this regard, TFI will first, restrict the use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising. Second, work with the government to enforce plain packaging. Third, plain packaging will limit misleading packaging. Fourth, plain packaging will limit misleading labelling. Fifth, plain packaging will increase the effectiveness of health warnings because they will be more conspicuous than when there is tobacco advertising. Finally, plain packaging will reduce the number of people who smoke tobacco (World No Tobacco Day, 2016).

The target population or the benefactors are the people of Turkey. According to government statistics, over 66% and 33% of the adult men and women respectively are tobacco smokers (WHO, 2015). Further, those who do not smoke tobacco are affected indirectly because they also inhale tobacco through passive smoking. Therefore, the target population includes all citizens of Turkey (WHO, 2015). In as much as the program will target the tobacco smoking population directly, it will also limit the cases of young people tasting tobacco smoke because of the eye catching advertisements usually used.

The partners of the Tobacco Free Initiative include the government of Turkey and the World Health Organization. The Turkish government provides support to the program by availing security. The World Health Organization in collaboration with the government, conducts survey and monitoring services, to determine the effectiveness of the program in the fight against tobacco-smoking. Other partners include the citizens and the private sector.

Project Priorities

The main purpose of the TFI project is to stop environmental pollution caused by tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking is like a two edged sword, it cuts with both sides; the smoker and the environment. While the tobacco smoker is at risk, the people around are equally smoking (Basinger, 2010). Therefore, the priority of the project include, first, reducing the number of tobacco smokers through the plain packaging move. Second, working with Turkey government to ensure that tobacco manufacturers use plain packaging so that the packets are unattractive. Third, increasing the creation of awareness on the dangers of tobacco smoking. All these priorities will help prevent the young people from joining the bandwagon of tobacco smokers.

Work Breakdown Structure

Needs Assessment

Progress Monitoring

Plain packaging campaign

Survey

The community needs were assessed first before the start of the program. Tobacco smoking is harmful to the people and the economy of Turkey. The assessment of the community needs show that tobacco smoking reduces the productivity of the people. When people are ill, they do not work, which leads to a decline in economic development (Brandt, 2009). Therefore, the community needs include the environment free from pollution and a healthy nation. It is estimated that when the citizens continue smoking tobacco, the government will be forced to outsource labor from other countries. This is because so far tobacco accounts for 50% of hospital deaths in Turkey (WHO, 2015).

The Tobacco Free initiative monitored the progress by conducting a survey to determine if tobacco manufacturers and packaging companies adhered to the established rules. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) engaged its parties in the regular collection of national data, patterns, determinants and consequences of tobacco use and exposure. In this regard, the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative in Turkey aims at improving the availability of data on tobacco use, exposure and health outcomes (WHO, 2015). Therefore, the Tobacco Free Initiative monitored the progress by developing, maintaining and reporting data to the relevant stakeholders. Further, the organization develops, maintains and reports data on health outcomes that are related to tobacco use and exposure.

Through the TFI, the people of Turkey celebrate World No Tobacco Day every year, which pushes for plain packaging of tobacco products to reduce the demand. On May 27, 2016, the Director-General of the Tobacco Free Initiative received a recognition award for the accomplishments done to control tobacco smoking (World No Tobacco Day, 2016). The Director-General, together with his team, sensitize people on the harmful effects of tobacco smoking and went further to call upon tobacco manufacturers to embrace plain packaging of tobacco products.

The Tobacco Free Initiative operated in the field by use of volunteers, community health workers and the World Health Organization. Volunteers conducted a public awareness campaign for the existence of the Tobacco Free Initiative. This was to sensitize the public on the dangers of tobacco smoking. Community health workers were involved in the demonstration of how tobacco is harmful to the body and how people can quit smoking. The World Health Organization workers engaged in the survey and monitoring of the programs progress. Further, the initiative ensured that tobacco manufacturers adhere to the established rules of plain packaging and zero advertising.

The services were delivered by establishing and collaborating with the Turkish government to enforce the plain packaging of tobacco products. As stated earlier, plain packaging restricts the use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion, plain packaging limits misleading packaging and labelling. Finally, plain packaging increases the effectiveness of health warnings because they will be more conspicuous than when there is tobacco advertising. The organization assumes that plain packaging will make tobacco products unattractive to young adults who might have the urge to taste the products (Seidman, 2010). By the plain packaging move, some people will lack information on the availability of tobacco thus reducing demand and chances of people smoking tobacco.

Cost Estimation

Item Cost

Survey $3,500

Advertisement $5,500

Community Health Workers $9,000

World Health Organization Workers $9,500

Progress Monitoring $5,000

Total $32,500

The Free Tobacco Initiative cost $32,500. Advertisement accounted for $5,500, payment for community health workers accounted for $9000, and World Health Organization workers accounted for $9500. However, since the program still continues, the organization will still incur the costs and the projection for the next five years is about $120,000. The program was cost-effective in comparison to the benefit. Here the comparison is between the amounts spend on the project and the benefits derived. The amount spend yearly is estimated to be $24,000. The utility derived from the program include the reduction in the demand for tobacco products. According to Haustein (2013), the decrease in demand for tobacco products means that people have quit smoking tobacco or some of them are on their way to quit. The greatest benefit is the health concern because tobacco smoking robs the nation thousands of creative and energetic minds every day. Further, the cost of treating tobacco related diseases is so high that cannot be compared with the cost of the Tobacco Free Initiative. Therefore, it is sufficient to say that the cost incurred to implement the program was worth the benefits.

The program protects the environment because of the reduction in the number of tobacco smokers. It reduces the occurrence of tobacco smoking related diseases. When people quit tobacco smoking, they embrace healthy living habits. Government health survey found that tobacco related diseases accounted for 50% of overall deaths in hospitals (Kozlowski, Henningfield & Brigham, 2011). The Tobacco Free Initiative therefore, will reduce the deaths significantly. The main aim of the program was to reduce the consumption of tobacco related products to zero. After one year, the demand has dropped by 15%. This is a great progress toward no tobacco consumption because by the third year, the World No Tobacco Day will be meet zero demand for tobacco related tobacco products. When people stop tobacco smoking, there health improves and they concentrate on uplifting their living standards (Wetherall, 2007).

In conclusion, it is sufficient to say that the Tobacco Free Initiative is the best form of environmental protection campaign. This is because the campaign reduced the demand for tobacco products significantly. When the demand for tobacco products reduces, environmental pollution reduces which consequently improves public health. On the other hand, improvement in the public health leads to the growth of an economy because a healthy nation is a working nation. As people work, they increase their income, which increases their well-being and the need to continue protecting their environment.

References

Basinger, H. (2010). Quit smoking now and forever!;conquering the nicotine demon. S.l.: First Edition Design Publ.

Brandt, A. M. (2009). The cigarette century: The rise, fall, and deadly persistence of the product that defined America. New York: Basic Books.

Crawford, M. L. (2009). Smoking: 201 reasons to quit. Walnut Creek, Calif: Dillon & Parker Pub.

Haustein, K.-O. (2013). Tobacco or Health?: Physiological and Social Damages Caused by Tobacco Smoking. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

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