Dublin has been announced as the winner of a bid to host a major international conference to tackle tobacco, to be held in 2021. The announcement came at the end of the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, held in South Africa.
The World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) is the premier conference on tobacco related issues and attracts an international audience of approximately 2,500 delegates. It is held every three years in the month of March. The conference has not been held in a European city since 2003.
Minister Simon Harris and Minister Catherine Byrne have expressed their delight that Ireland has been successful in the bid to host the 18th WCTOH conference in Dublin.
Minister Harris said “Ireland is recognised as a world leader in introducing new tobacco control measures. I am sure that this is just one of the key factors which resulted in Ireland winning this bid. Ireland was the first country in the world to introduce a national comprehensive workplace smoking ban in 2004, the first EU country to bring in the ban on point-of-sale display ban in 2009 and is the second country in the world to introduce standardised packaging for all tobacco products in 2017. The Department of Health’s central role in this success was recognised internationally when it was awarded the WHO 2017 World No Tobacco Day Award for its achievements in tobacco control.”
Partners in the bidding process included the HSE, the Irish Cancer Society, ASH Ireland, Irish Heart, Tobaccofree Research Institute, Royal College of Physician of Ireland, Institute of Public Health, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Convention Bureau and the Dublin Convention Centre.
