The blog of Tih Armstrong Ntiabang

160 Nations Adopt Standards Requiring Large, Graphic Health Warnings on Tobacco Packs, Comprehensive Bans on Tobacco Advertising and Preventing Tobacco Industry Interference in Government Regulation

Statement of Matthew L. Myers

President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Washington, DC (November 22, 2008) –Nations meeting in Durban, South Africa this week have unanimously adopted international standards for implementing the international tobacco control treaty that mandate health warning labels that cover 50 percent or more, and no less than 30 percent, of tobacco packaging and feature graphic images of health conditions caused by tobacco. Nations have also adopted standards to protect tobacco control public health policies from tobacco industry interests. Additionally, standards were adopted that call for governments to implement bans on all tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids commends the Parties to the treaty – called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – for taking these important steps to address the global tobacco epidemic.

Strong health warnings and advertising bans are critical components of a comprehensive approach to reducing tobacco use and saving millions of lives worldwide, as are strong standards to help prevent industry interference in government implementation of tobacco control measures and policy-making processes. Because the tobacco industry sells a product that will lead to disease and premature death in fully half of its users, the industry’s interests are fundamentally in conflict with nations’ public health and economic aspirations.

Coalition of African Anti-tobacco Journalists

International Convention Center Durban, 21 November 2008, 11 African journalists present during third Conference of Parties (COP3) held a meeting to put in place and a group of African anti-tobacco journalist.

 

The main idea behind this meeting was a reflection on the setting up of a framework of African journalists who could enforce the efforts of FCA in their struggle to control tobacco in the world and Africa in particular.

 

At the start of the discussion, Tih Armstrong Ntiabang, a free lance from Cameroon took the floor to remind participants of the devastating effects of tobacco in the world particularly in African countries. It is because of this that we, journalists and communication experts have the duty to work in synergy in order to boost the fight against tobacco. He went further to say that in order to prevent the population from being enticed by the generous mask worn by the tobacco industries, journalists and communication experts are faced by the challenge to develop communication strategies on anti-tobacco that will reach the general public and this can only be done through networking and harmonization of our efforts.

“A blog is a decentralized way of communicating and a potential for African journalists to relay information on tobacco control” Interview with Philippe Boucher

African journalists present during the third Convention of the Parties (COP3) have been galvanized into the creation of blogs with the assistance of Philippe Boucher, communication expert presently working as consultant with the International Development Research Center on the communication strategy of ATSA (African Tobacco Situational Analyses, a project funded by the Gates Foundation). When asked to assess the level of communication of tobacco control in Africa, he said:

 

Africa at the crossroads of tobacco control

If trends continue, by 2030 tobacco use will cause eight million deaths per year and 80% of these will be in the developing world, the World Health Organization estimates. Presently, almost one billion men and 250 million women are daily smokers. 50% of men and 9% of women in developing countries smoke.  At the moment, 4.9 million people die per year, 13,400 people per day and 560 people every hour. The problem of tobacco consumption across Africa is increasing sharply in response to the marketing onslaught by multinational tobacco companies, seeking to compensate their loss of sales in wealthier countries by exploiting new opportunities in Africa. The WHO in its 2004 report says: “Tobacco control, rather than being a luxury that only rich nations can afford, is now a necessity that all countries must address”

COUNTRIES UNITE AGAINST TOBACCO INDUSTRY INTERFERENCE TREATY MEETING ADOPTS STRONG GUIDELINES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST INDUSTRY ABUSE

DURBAN – Today 160 countries agreed on strong new guidelines to block tobacco industry interference in global health policies and the implementation of the global tobacco treaty.

Since it took effect in 2005, implementation of the treaty, formally known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has been systematically obstructed by Big Tobacco. The abuses of corporations like Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco have ranged from attempting to write tobacco control laws, blocking the passage of smoke-free legislation, and using so-called “corporate social responsibility” to circumvent ad bans.

Tobacco industry interference has been the number one obstacle to the treaty’s implementation, and ratifying countries now see protections against this interference as the backbone of the treaty.

“The tobacco industry has long exploited every opening to perpetuate a preventable epidemic that pads their bottom line,” said Kathy Mulvey, international policy director of Corporate Accountability International. “These guidelines will help advocates and public officials begin to slam the door on tobacco industry tactics, and focus on implementing the treaty’s lifesaving measures.”

The new guidelines are designed to give teeth to Article 5.3 of the treaty which states, “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law.”

New Report Shows Progress in Adoption of Smokefree Air Laws But Challenges Remain with Tobacco Industry Marketing Worldwide

Durban, South Africa, 20 November – A new report presented here in Durban at the World Health Organisation's 3^rd Conference of the Parties (COP) finds that significant progress has been made on the implementation of comprehensive smokefree policies at national and sub-national levels around the world. But a second report shows that the tobacco industry is continuing to engage in aggressive and often manipulative marketing worldwide.

 

About Tih Armstrong

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