WHO lauds inroads against tobacco, urges full treaty compliance
release GENEVA - On World No Tobacco Day (31 May), WHO celebrates the successes of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in the fight against the epidemic of tobacco use. At the same time, WHO recognizes that challenges remain for the public health treaty to reach its full potential as the world's most powerful tobacco control tool.
Implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Since it was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003, 172 countries and the European Union have become Parties to the WHO FCTC. Among other measures, the Parties are obliged over time to:
- protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke
- ban tobacco advertising and sales to minors
- put large health warnings on packages of tobacco
- ban or limit additives to tobacco products
- increase tobacco taxes
- create a national coordinating mechanism for tobacco control.
This year, the tobacco epidemic will kill nearly 6 million people, including some 600 000 nonsmokers who will die from exposure to tobacco smoke. By 2030, it could kill 8 million.
"The treaty's ultimate success against the tobacco industry depends on the extent to which the Parties meet all of their obligations," says the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan. "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."
Tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases - such as heart attack, stroke, cancer and emphysema - which accounts for 63% of all deaths, nearly 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Up to half of all tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
photo: medindia
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