ACS/UICC Tobacco Control Strategy Planning is a series of guides developed by the American Cancer Society and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC). Each guide in this series takes readers through a set of strategic planning questions that address specific challenges in tobacco control advocacy. The guides answer those questions, based on the wisdom and experience of tobacco control advocates throughout the world.

The first two guides in the ACS/UICC series are basic tools designed to be used together by tobacco control advocates whose countries are in the early stages of tobacco control.

Strategy Planning for Tobacco Control Advocacy takes NGO (nongovernmental organization) planners through the process of developing long- and short-term national strategic plans, with an emphasis on media advocacy.

Strategy Planning for Tobacco Control Movement Building helps planners identify the kinds of people and allied organizations that can be the most helpful to them in putting together and implementing national plans. The guide includes methods for recruiting allies; tips for organizing effective alliances; leadership requirements for effective national tobacco control movements; and critical lessons in movement leadership.

Both guides are also designed to be "meta-guides." They not only answer strategic questions but also provide Internet links to authoritative and useful publications, fact sheets, tested arguments, background papers, and other online advocacy resources.

To help simplify the strategy-planning process for advocates, UICC has created a one-stop website on GLOBALink (http://www.globalink.org). This site allows advocates to conveniently locate and download all the advocacy resources mentioned in the guides.

This series also includes two specialized strategy-planning guides:

Engaging Doctors in Tobacco Control responds to the concern of tobacco control advocates that far too few doctors—who should be among the leaders of every tobacco control movement—are actively engaged in tobacco control.

Building Public Awareness of Passive Smoking's Hazards responds to the evidence in many countries of little or no public awareness of the serious, proven health hazards of passive smoking. This lack of awareness severely hampers advocates who try to persuade governments to decree or enforce smoke-free public places or work sites.

Each guide is designed to help advocates develop practical strategies to overcome specific barriers to effective tobacco control policies. As advocates continue to learn valuable lessons about tobacco control advocacy, we encourage them to share their experiences. We will continually update these guides and the related website so that advocates always have access to the most current strategies and resources.

Thomas Glynn, PhD
Director, Cancer Science and Trends, American Cancer Society

Michael Pertschuk, JD
Co-Director, Advocacy Institute

Yussuf Saloojee, PhD
Tobacco Control Strategic Leader, International Union Against Cancer