BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: The term “tobacco endgame” has gained traction in global tobacco control, but inconsistent definitions and competing interpretations can weaken advocacy, hinder public engagement, and dilute impact. This project redefines endgame narratives by creating a strategic communications framework that can mobilize policymakers, public health organizations, and society at large – targeting the systematic dismantling of the tobacco industry’s influence.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Through a comprehensive analysis of existing tobacco endgame definitions and stakeholder interviews, critical gaps in narratives and definitions were identified. Nine key challenges in current endgame narratives and barriers were uncovered. These challenges range from the inconsistency in definitions (which vary from measures to targets and lead to a fragmented view), lack of awareness of the range of endgame policies and strategies, and lack of attention on supply-oriented policies, which might be most effective as they target the industry at its core.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Based on these nine challenges, strategies and guiding principles for terminology and framing were developed. These entail a simple and engaging narrative to talk about endgame, the recommendation to highlight the central role of the industry (even stronger) in every policy proposal, the need to leverage tobacco industry denormalization strategies, and the opportunity to address the nicotine versus tobacco debate in commercial sales phase-out by using an industry framing. These strategies offer a proposed blueprint for overcoming the challenges in defining endgame and specific endgame policies, and will align fragmented efforts into a unified vision that can accelerate progress towards industry elimination.
CONCLUSIONS: The key challenges and recommended strategies for better endgame advocacy will improve policy conversations and campaigning. They will help communicate about endgame more effectively, increasing policy maker awareness (by realizing tobacco industry elimination is an actual possibility) and communicating the wide range of potential endgame policies in a compelling way.