Collaboration between stakeholders: TAPS free model rail station

Background and challenges to implementation Smoking and Tobacco Products Uses (Control) Act 2005 (amended in 2013) is provide opportunities for non-government organizations to ensure implementation of this law. This law has banned all sorts of Tobacco Advertisement, Promotions and Sponsorships (TAPS), but Tobacco Industries (TIs) violates this law across the country through various ways. Display tobacco products, decorated boxes, competition among smokers, free sample distribution at the point of sales (PoS's) are most common forms of violation of law. PoS's takes little space, have no control by any authority and PoS is available at all areas, in front of schools, hospitals, bus stand, rail stations etc. Intervention or response Kushtia based voluntary organization Social Advancement Forum (SAF) is member of the Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance (BATA), a nationwide civil society platform and district Task Force for tobacco control law implementation headed by deputy commissioner (DC). SAF learned about law implementation from national level organizations and work with all local government officials, people representatives at various local governments, shop owners, authority of rail station, law enforcing agencies (Police) etc. SAF organized various public awareness campaigns, meetings and disseminate promotional materials of law with gazette. SAF succeed to convince all concerned people to make a model rail station that free from tobacco advertisement and promotion. SAF regularly monitor this place in which more than 10,000 people visit every day. Results and lessons learnt As a result, we have made 100% compliance of law with removing all advertisement, display, colored boxes and promotional activities. Poradaha rail station is also smoke free. Efforts on law implementation to create model rail station can be replicate any other rail station in any country, where tobacco advertisement is banned. Conclusions and key recommendations Remove PoS advertisements became big challenge around the country. But SAF in Kusthia successful to create PoS ads free zone through strong collaboration among all concern sectors