WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network (TobLabNet)
TobLabNet will carry out collaborative activities aimed at meeting the goals of the organization as given above. These activities include:
- Provide remedial support for laboratory staff to improve current capabilities to meet testing requirements.
- Develop a method compendium for use by laboratories seeking to expand their capabilities for analysis of tobacco products and emissions.
- Train laboratory staff in new analytical methodologies using experts experienced in a wide range of analysis methods and techniques.
- Develop common materials for standardization, proficiency testing, and quality control to provide better consistency of results.
- Identify best laboratory practices so that more reliable laboratory information can be generated for research and regulation.
- Test new methods using multiple laboratories to determine ruggedness and applicability under widely varying infrastructures.
- Carry out projects for analyzing, evaluating, and comparing global and regional tobacco products and emissions.
- Perform collaborative research on improving methods for tobacco and smoke testing, better understanding product use, and the impact of different products on biomarkers of exposure and adverse health effects.
- Provide access to world-wide expertise in laboratory techniques, instrumentation, product and smoke analysis methods, product regulation, toxicology and addiction.
- Provide means for electronic communications within the network for accessing information and sharing expertise.