How Costa Rica implemented the FCTC by overcoming decades of industry dominance

Eric Crosbie, Patricia Sosa, and I just published “Costa Rica’s implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Overcoming decades of industry dominance” in Salud Publica Mexico.
 
The tile says it all.  This paper is an update of our earlier paper that showed that the tobacco companies understood that Costa Rica is a trendsetting country in Latin America and how they blocked effective tobacco control for years.  Motivated by the FCTC and with assistance from the global tobacco control network the industry was overcome and strong legislation was passed.
 
(We have another paper coming out soon on the successful implementation.)
 
Here is the abstract in English:
 

Objective. To analyze the passage of Costa Rica’s 2012 tobacco control law.
 
Materials and methods. Review of legislation, newspaper articles, and key informant interviews.
 
Results. Tobacco control advocates, in close collaboration with international health groups, recruited national, regional and international experts to testify in the Legislative Assembly, implemented grassroots advocacy campaigns, and generated media coverage to enact strong legislation in March 2012 consistent with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, despite tobacco industry lobbying efforts that for decades blocked effective tobacco control legislation.
 
Conclusion. Costa Rica’s experience illustrates how with resources, good strategic planning, aggressive tactics and perseverance tobacco control advocates can overcome tobacco industry opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Executive Branch. This determined approach has positioned Costa Rica to become a regional leader in tobacco control.

 
And in Spanish:
 

Objetivo. Analizar la adopción de la ley de control del Tabaco de 2012 en Costa Rica.
 
Material y métodos. Revisión de la legislación, artículos de periódicos y entrevistas con informantes clave.
 
Resultados. Los defensores del control del tabaco, en estrecha colaboración con grupos internacionales
de salud pública y expertos nacionales, regionals e internacionales, reclutados para testificar en la Asamblea Legislativa, implementaron campañas de comunicación e incidencia política que resultaron en la aprobación en marzo de 2012 de una legislación fuerte y en consonancia con el Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Todo esto a pesar de los esfuerzos de la industria tabacalera que, por décadas, había logrado bloquear la aprobación de una legislación eficaz de control del tabaco en Costa Rica.
 
Conclusión. La experiencia de Costa Rica ilustra cómo con recursos, una buena planificación estratégica, tácticas agresivas y perseverancia, los defensores del control del tabaco pudieron superar la oposición de la industria tabacalera en la Asamblea Legislativa y el Poder Ejecutivo. La adopción de una ley efectiva de control de tabaco ha posicionado a Costa Rica como un líder regional en el control de tabaco.

 
The full paper is available in English here (English) and  in Spanish here (Spanish).
 
The full citation is Crosbie E, Sosa P, Glantz SA. Costa Rica’s implementation of the Framework  Convention on Tobacco Control: Overcoming decades of industry dominance. Salud Publica Mex 2016;58:62-70.