While celebrating World No Tobacco Day with encouraging words on progress made to stem the growth of tobacco usage globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) says enormous challenges still remain for the public health treaty to really do what it was created for – to become the planet’s most powerful tobacco control tool.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted in 2003 by the World Health Assembly. The European Union as well as 172 other countries joined the treaty. The main goals being:

  • To make tobacco sales aimed at minors illegal
  • To limit and ban additives to tobacco products
  • To raise the tax levy on tobacco products
  • To create a national coordinating mechanism to control tobacco
  • To protect humans from environmental tobacco smoke exposure (secondhand smoke)

WHO informs that in 2011 an estimated 6 million people will be killed by tobacco, including approximately 600,000 non-smoking individuals who breathe in second-hand tobacco smoke.

Dr Margaret Chan, WHO General-Director, said:

“The treaty’s ultimate success against the tobacco industry depends on the extent to which the Parties meet all of their obligations. More needs to be done for the treaty to achieve its full potential. It is not enough to become a Party to the treaty. Countries must also pass, or strengthen, the necessary implementing legislation and then rigorously enforce it.”

Smoking is a key contributor to the explosion in non-communicable diseases worldwide, including stroke, emphysema, cancer and heart attack – which make up 63% of all deaths. Almost four-fifths of these deaths occur in developing nations. Nearly half of all regular tobacco smokers die prematurely.

WHO commends the following nations for their efforts so far:

  • 80% of the surface area of tobacco packaging must have health warnings in Uruguay
  • All tobacco products will soon be sold in only plain, unbranded packs in Australia
  • Picture warnings in 2008 appeared for the first time in tobacco packs in Africa (Mauritius)
  • Ireland outlawed tobacco smoking in public places in 2004
  • 73% of the cost of a pack of cigarettes in Sri Lanka today consists of tax
  • Tobacco advertising of any type was banned in 2006 in Iran
  • In May 2011 China introduced a smoking in public places ban
  • Turkey introduced legislation banning smoking in public places in 2009

Head of the Convention Secretariat, Dr Haik Nikogosian, said:

“The WHO FCTC is the most powerful tobacco control tool at our disposal, and countries should take full advantage of it. The need to fully implement the treaty is especially great in the low- and middle-income countries, which is where the tobacco industry is focusing its marketing efforts. International cooperation to facilitate Parties’ compliance with the treaty is crucial.”

Director of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, Dr Douglas Bettcher, said:

“One area where we would like to see improvement is in the provision having to do with the protection of public health policies from influence by the tobacco industry. Ever hungry for profits, the tobacco industry routinely tries to undermine governments’ attempts to control the epidemic. Although some countries have begun to implement policies rejecting partnerships with the tobacco industry and making their interactions with the industry fully transparent, we would like to see more progress in this area.”

The World Health Assembly mandated 31st May as World No Tobacco Day, to be celebrated every year.

Written by Christian Nordqvist