Y4H: GYM 2009

GYM 2009

Global Youth Meet On Tobacco Control, 2009 (GYM, 2009)

Global Youth Meet on Tobacco Control, GYM‐2009 was to empower youth to become agents of social change, especially as it relates to youth health and tobacco control. Using a variety of interactive formats, youth received leadership and advocacy skills training at the workshop, which prepared them to actively participate in the 14th WCTOH. This Global Youth Meet on Tobacco Control provided platform to approximately 140 international and national participants to discuss and debate issues related to tobacco control and jointly plan youth led tobacco control advocacy activities worldwide. Participants utilized and practiced these skills during the main WCTOH conference as speakers in appropriate sessions that focused on presenting a youth perspective on tobacco control issues. The overall workshop introduced participants to 8 themes which are relevant to tobacco control and youth under Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC):

Protection from tobacco smoke
Prohibiting Tobacco marketing and promotion
Tobacco packaging, labeling and Health warnings
Reducing the availability of tobacco products
Mass media interventions
Cessation programmes and initiative
School based initiatives
Raising of taxes on all tobacco products

The two themes that were dealt in detail during GYM‐2009 were on ‘Preventing exposure to second hand smoke’ and ‘Ban on Tobacco advertisement and promotion’.

Each theme was addressed through:

Plenary sessions
Small group sessions
Skill building workshops

The technical sessions on each day of the meet started with plenary sessions with presentations by national and international experts from various organizations who provided knowledge on key theme areas to the delegates. Plenary sessions were kept general to introduce participants to various issues under tobacco control that would aid them in their advocacy efforts. Talks during plenary on each of the two days introduced the theme of the day to set the stage for further discussions. Each plenary session provided an opportunity for the youth delegates to ask questions and exchange ideas with the experts. This was followed by several concurrent Small working group sessions (divided on the basis of WHO regions). During the small working sessions, facilitators led participants through a curriculum designed by HRIDAY to facilitate the development of regional action plans specific to the theme. Skill building workshops were conducted subsequent to small working sessions to empower delegates in advocacy and communication skills required to implement the action plan developed during small group sessions.

To konw more about our actions and plans, please read the following: