HSA Cigarette Testing Laboratory Designated a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Testing and Research

The Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) Cigarette Testing Laboratory under its Applied Sciences Group has been newly designated a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Testing and Research for a four-year team.

Leading Laboratory in the Field of Tobacco Research & Testing

2      This is an honour as HSA's Cigarette Testing Laboratory is the first testing Laboratory in the Western Pacific region to be designated by WHO as a collaborating centre in the area of tobacco testing and research.

3      Dr Antoon Opperhuizen, Head, Laboratory for Health Protection Research and Head, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Product Regulation and Control, in his congratulatory note to the HSA Cigarette Testing Laboratory remarked: “Your institute is now recognised as one of the leading laboratories in the field of tobacco research and testing within governmental organisations worldwide and one of the eight collaborating centres of WHO on tobacco.”

(For the list of WHO Collaborating Centres, please access WHO website )

Partner in WHO Tobacco-Free Initiative

4      HSA Cigarette Testing Laboratory has been actively involved in many WHO Tobacco-Free Initiative activities, particularly in the development of testing and validation methods for global tobacco regulation. Apart from participating in the WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network as an expert in the field of tobacco testing, HSA Cigarette Testing Laboratory has also been training other national laboratories. This training supports WHO's effort to establish worldwide industry-independent tobacco laboratories in all WHO regions so as to carry out the full control on tobacco products under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

5      Said HSA's Dr Paul Chui, Group Director, Applied Sciences Group, “HSA is excited to add impetus to the global fight against tobacco usage through our collaborative work in tobacco analysis with WHO. We are pleased to contribute to building capabilities not just for our nation, but also within the WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network.”

Scope

6      As a WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Testing and Research, HSA Cigarette Testing Laboratory serves the following terms of reference:

• To provide technical support in the development of regional testing capabilities in the control of tobacco products
• To provide technical training on tobacco content analysis and emissions measurement
• To develop testing methodologies on carcinogenic and genotoxic smoke constituents
• To collaborate and contribute within the tobacco network and collaborate with WHO Tobacco-Free Initiative in building capabilities for the testing laboratories in relation to the WHO FCTC and WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network specifically.

Going Forward

7      To provide further momentum to the global efforts to reverse the tobacco epidemic, HSA's Cigarette Testing Laboratory will intensify collaboration with WHO, contribute actively at scientific and technical platforms, and foster leadership in building scientific and testing capabilities worldwide.

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
24 JULY 2009

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Published: 24 Jul 2009

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