World No Tobacco Day 2014 focuses on the need for higher taxes, as effective tools for reducing tobacco use among lower-income groups and in preventing young people from starting to smokeEvery year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This year, Dr Jamil Halabi, Head of the Healthy City Programme Tobacco Control committee in Tripoli, Lebanon, received this year's award during a ceremony held on 1 July 2014 in Tripoli.
Attending the ceremony were Dr Hassan El-Bushra, WHO Representative in Lebanon; Mr Fadi Sanan, Director of Tobacco Control Programme at the Ministry of Public Health; the President of the Syndicate of Physicians in northern Lebanon; and Dr Jamil Halabi, the winner of this year's award.
This ceremony was also attended by H.E. the Minister of Displaced, representatives of the main governmental institutions, nongovernmental organizations mainly those working in tobacco control and community leaders in the city of Tripoli and northern Lebanon.
Dr Atef Majdalani, Member of Parliament, and Dr Rima Al Nakkash of the American University of Beirut (AUB) were winners of similar awards last year.
