Tuesday, April 27 1999
Rendez-vous with Albert Hirsch
Thank you Albert for accepting our " rendez-vous ". May I ask you to introduce yourself ?
I am professor of pneumology at Paris VII University, and head of a chest department in hospital Saint Louis, Paris.
I chair the European Network for Smoking Prevention and the tobacco prevention program of UICC.
1. The subject of the presentation you gave during the 2d
UICC cancer management conference that took place last week in Antwerp
was "the way forward in Europe, what's next?".
How do you assess the future of tobacco control in Europe and what role do you see for the European cancer societies?
Are they sufficiently involved?
Or could they do more, considering -for instance-
what the American Cancer Society achieved in the US?
We need more co-ordination between all the organizations involved in tobacco control .
The role of European cancer leagues has to be increased, and they have to reorient toward primary prevention because they are, for most of them, more concerned by curing the patients and basic research.
2. The European Commission recently collectively resigned, a new European Parliament will be elected in June, Finland will be in charge of the Presidency in July. Are these changes going to be positive for tobacco control?
The "Europe against cancer" program will end in 2000.
So, we have to be sure that the future public health program contains a strong tobacco control policy.
3. What is your agenda at the European Union level?
A revision of the labeling and packaging directive?
A revision of the subsidies to tobacco growers?
New measures against smuggling?
What are your priorities?
Before to vote a new directive concerning labeling for tobacco products, we need to have good scientific data on the methods to measure the biologically active part of tobacco constituents, to know all the additives tobacco industry put in the cigarette, and to know the limit value acceptable for them.
The regulation has to apply to all the nicotine delivery devices, i.e. not only nrt but also tobacco products.
A report of the tobacco agriculture policy will be given in 2002, so we have to lobby for the end of tobacco subsidies in the near future.
For smuggling, we have to implement tracing of tobacco products from the manufacturers to the final place where the cigarettes are used.
It is necessary to increase the fines and that the tobacco industry pays the fines.
4. The Dutch Non-Smoker's Association just won a lawsuit against Erasmus University in Rotterdam because there was no enforcement of the non-smoking regulation. In France one local Health Insurance Plan has filed a lawsuit against the cigarette manufacturers to recoup the costs of smoking. Do you think litigation, all over Europe, could become a key component of tobacco control efforts?
The example of the St Nazaire Health Insurance Plan is the beginning of litigation which will continue and will be a major weapon for the success in the future.
5. Tapani Piha envisioned a virtual network of strong tobacco control NGO's as the most efficient tool for cooperation between the European countries. What do you think of this analysis and what steps should be taken to build up such a network?
Networking through meetings and electronic means is the best way to organize a strong antitobacco movement all around the world, and namely in Europe, including Central and Eastern European countries.
For that, we need commitment of medical societies (cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory), of non smoker's rights associations, consumers, women, youth associations, etc.
We need also to be supported financially.
The pharmaceutical industry is one possible partner, with a double constraint : transparency and independence.
Thank you Albert for taking the time to be with us today.
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