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We have the science to convince. We know that higher excise taxes make economic sense in addition to reduce smoking, in particular among the young and the poor. We know that smuggling is a problem that must be dealt with independently of the price issue. And we know that in the long term, government divestment of tobacco holdings is responsible policy - both economically and health-wise.

n October, Member States will begin the negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This will be the first time that the public health community has led treaty negotiations. The process we set in motion has already fostered a global debate and pushed countries as well as tobacco companies to think about their actions from a public health perspective. The success of the FCTC will depend on our ability to link compelling data to robust decisions.

Many countries in this Region have shown a strong and active support for the work towards a Framework Convention. I appreciate this and count on you to continue this support so that the FCTC can become a strong and effective tool for tobacco control.

As a public service to help victims of  the tobacco industry learn whether they can bring a potential law suit, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a 36-year old national legal-action charitable organization entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions, has compiled a list of most of the attorneys in this country involved in law suits against big tobacco.

Ironically, what people know about tobacco in Cambodia is largely dictated by what cigarette companies choose to tell them. "Promotion girls" give away free cigarettes, umbrellas adorned with company logos shade popcorn sellers, TV and radio stations push the merits of smoking, and live concerts are sponsored by local brands.

Inadequate health records in Cambodia mean it is impossible to find precise figures on smoking-related diseases, but a 1997 report from the MoH and WHO, based on international figures, estimated 5,800 smoking-related deaths in Cambodia annually.

"People here always focus on HIV, AIDS and TB and not on the hidden dangers of smoking,"

Tobacco Advertising Treaty Could Bring Big Changes in Cambodia

Among other features, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control would require countries to regulate tobacco advertising, forbid its sale to children, raise taxes on tobacco to keep it out of children's hands and require warning labels on tobacco products. The 191 members of the World Health Organization, which drafted the treaty, are expected to ratify it by May 2003, officials say. The question of advertising has been the hottest item of the framework, especially here in Cambodia, and it has reopened an old debate on whether or not smoking has a place in society.

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Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has fought for harsher measures against tobacco companies, added, in a prepared statement, "Today's report by the American Lung Association provides a stark reminder of the federal government's failure to reduce youth smoking, regulate tobacco products, or generate funds for tobacco cessation programs. The federal government deserves this failing grade."The report did find that state and local governments have done a better job, although that record remains mixed.Six states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts and New York) now ban smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Thirty-three states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, however, received an F for smoke-free air.