Group items tagged

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.

out of

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.