Guidelines

Tobacco-Free Bylaws

Background

Tobacco-Free was founded on August 11, 1994. Tobacco-Free is an extension of ”The Norwegian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs’ Work Group on Follow-up to the Plan of Action for a Tobacco-Free Norway Year 2000". This work group was dissolved on December 31, 1993 in connection with the reorganization of the Advisory Board of the Norwegian Council on Tobacco and Health when several voluntary organizations joined as new members. Upon the dissolution of the work group, various organizations took the initiative to establish a new coordinating board consisting of the same organizations that had been part of the defunct work group, except the governmental organs.

§ 1. Objective

Tobacco-Free is a coordinating board whose aims are to reduce tobacco consumption, secure a smoke-free environment and make freedom from tobacco the social norm.

Tobacco-Free shall act jointly to put pressure on the political authorities, disseminate information to politicians, decision-makers and the media, initiate cross-organizational collaboration and develop networks.

§ 2. Composition

Membership Criteria:

Organizations working on tobacco-related issues.

Tobacco-Free is a coordinating board uniting various organizations.
Members as of April 26, 2000 are as follows: The Norwegian Association of Midwives, The Norwegian Cancer Society, The Norwegian Medical Association, The Norwegian Dental Association, The Norwegian Heart and Lung Association, The Norwegian Association Against Tobacco; The Norwegian Health Association, The Norwegian AAAsthma and Allergy Association, and The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sport.

Other organizations may be admitted upon application.

Observers:

Permanent observers from The Norwegian Council on Tobacco and Health, The Norwegian Board of Health and The Norwegian Coordinating Board of Health Education ought to be present. Tobacco-Free may allow other organizations to become permanent observers at its option.

Member Organization Representatives

The individual organizations shall appoint a representative with a special interest in or knowledge of the work area.

Form of Administration

Tobacco-Free shall elect a President and a Vice-president.

The daily operation of Tobacco-Free shall be run by a Work Committee. The Work Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-president and a Secretary. The secretarial function shall rotate annually among the organizations according to a permanent schedule. The representative for the following year shall act as deputy. The Secretary shall keep minutes from Tobacco-Free and Work Committee meetings, which shall be sent to the organizations.

The President and the Vice-president shall be elected for two-year terms, but only one of them shall be elected each year.

Mandate

Political initiatives put forth by Tobacco-Free ought to be sanctioned by all member organizations first.

§ 3. Meetings

Tobacco-Free shall meet as often as required, generally 3-4 times a year.
Observers may be invited to the meetings in addition to the permanent observers.
Minutes shall be kept of all Tobacco-Free and Work Committee meetings and sent to the organizations.

§ 4. Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting shall take place during the first quarter of each year, during which elections are held and the annual report presented.
Elections will be written elections. The annual report shall describe the work carried out throughout the year.
The annual report shall be adopted by the organizations at the Annual Meeting.

§ 5. Finances

The member organizations shall cover their own work expenses. Cost-intensive programs shall be processed separately.

§ 6. Resignation

Resignation from Tobacco-Free shall take place upon written notice.

§ 7. Change in Bylaws

These revised bylaws were adopted at the Tobacco-Free meeting on April 26, 2000.
Bylaws may only be revised at the Annual Meeting. The representatives shall be invited to submit comments on revision proposals with a minimum notice of 1 month.

post@tobakksfritt.no

Org. no. 983 898 602