Joint Action on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention including Smoke and Aerosol Free Environment (JA SAFE)

Planned activities

• Supporting the implementation of the planned Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments through appropriate measures at the local, regional, and national levels that support the compliance to and enforcement of smoke and aerosol-free environments (SAFE), to reduce the risks from harmful exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols in indoor and certain outdoor spaces;
• Supporting the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan with respect to reducing harmful alcohol consumption and reducing the exposure of young people to advertising and marketing of alcoholic beverages;
• Facilitating the reduction in the burden of NCDs, including cancer, and their risk factors, both at a community and societal level, promoting active and healthy aging and supporting MS in their efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, Goal 3, Target 3.4, as well as the NCD targets of the (WHO);
• Developing and scaling up best and promising practices for tobacco control and SAFE in healthcare settings, ensuring appropriate communication strategies and long-term networking planning in parallel;
• Supporting the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, in particular in terms of achieving a Tobacco-Free Europe through actions to help create a ‘Tobacco-Free Generation’ where less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040 compared to around 25% today;
• Supporting the implementation of the planned Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments, related legislative frameworks on tobacco control, alcohol prevention, and other cross-cutting modifiable health determinants and risk factors. 

Expected results

The implementation of the policy objective of the EU NCD Initiative and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan will protect European Public Health through the reduction of the burden of NCDs including cancer, and their risk factors, both at individual and population level. Through JA-SAFE and the implementation of best and promising practices, real world studies and evidence-based interventions our overarching ambition is to reduce the burden of major NCDs and improve citizens’ health and well-being – through reducing the impact of major risk factors for NCDs. The expected results of this project include:

• identifying and rolling-out best and promising practices for piloting or implementation of those practices through population-level interventions;
• designing and piloting of promising policies and supporting the replication of these best and promising practices;
• supporting the design and piloting of new ambitious implementation of best and promising practices and innovative approaches;
• developing guidelines and evidence-based recommendations for prevention and control of NCDs and their risk factors, including nutrition, physical activity, use of tobacco products and alcohol consumption;
• developing ways to prevent youth exposure to alcohol marketing and recommended ways to communicate about risks related to alcohol use;
• developing guidelines and evidence-based recommendations to support Member States and stakeholders in reducing the risk and exposure associated with second-hand smoke and aerosols;
• supporting the design and piloting of new ambitious approaches and existing best practices towards achieving smoke and aerosol-free environments leading to the collaboration among Member States and reducing existing inequalities;
• supporting the implementation of the planned revised Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments through appropriate measures at national level that support the compliance with and enforcement of smoke and aerosol-free measures.

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