The IES team participated in a stakeholders meeting on the prevention of smoking among preadolescents in Serbia

Recognized as one of the key partners in creating a smoke-free future for preadolescents, the Institute of Economic Sciences (IES) research team was invited to a meeting at the Australian Embassy to Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

The meeting was attended by the IES director, Dr. Jovan Zubović, and the IES Research Associate, Dr. Olivera Jovanović, who discussed the activities and measures to prevent smoking among preadolescents, with a particular focus on children aged 10 to 12 years, with the representatives of the World Health Organization in Serbia, The City Institute for Public Health, the National Education Portal, the Institute for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Education and Health Hub HR - Point of Connection in Healthcare.

The IES research team pointed out the challenges in the taxation policy of tobacco products, especially heat-non-burn tobacco products, but also emphasized the importance of applying the results of scientific research in creating the policy of taxation of tobacco products. Also, IEN researchers pointed out the need to strengthen multisectoral cooperation, which should aim to encourage the transfer of knowledge and the exchange of experiences in the field of tobacco control in Serbia, but also to achieve more effective communication both with the makers of public policies in our country and with the general public.