[afro-nets] UN Global Tobacco-Control Treaty on Track

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

from Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel@undp.org>

Un Global Tobacco-Control Treaty on Track to Become Law by End
of Year
--------------------------------------------------------------

New York, Jul 2 2004

The United Nations global treaty to curb tobacco use, which now
claims almost 5 million lives every year and causes an estimated
annual net loss of $200 billion in treatment and lost productiv-
ity, is on track to become binding international law by the end
of the year, the UN health agency reported today.

With the World Health Organization Framework Convention on To-
bacco Control (FCTC) closing for signature this week, nearly 90
per cent of the world?s countries have signed the treaty, which
requires them to restrict tobacco advertising, sponsorship and
promotion, set new labelling and clean indoor air controls and
strengthen laws clamping down on tobacco smuggling.

The FCTC has become one of the most rapidly embraced UN conven-
tions, with 167 WHO Member States and the European Community
(EC) signing, and 23 countries ratifying, accepting, approving
or acceding ­ thus making it law ­ just one year after the pact
opened for signature in Geneva. More than half the required 40
ratifications are now in hand.

?Although we have good reason to be confident, a relentless ef-
fort will still be needed for the foreseeable future,? WHO Di-
rector-General Dr Lee Jong-wook said. ?Current projections show
a rise of 31 per cent in tobacco-related deaths during the next
22 years, which will double the current death toll, bringing it
to almost 10 million a year."

WHO urges countries that have signed to ratify the Treaty as
soon as possible. ?The sooner the 40 ratifications are in place,
the sooner effective and coordinated actions within the Frame-
work Convention at country level can begin,? said Catherine Le
Galès-Camus, Assistant Director-General, Non-communicable Dis-
eases and Mental Health.

The treaty, adopted unanimously by all 192 Member States in May
last year, is the first public health treaty negotiated under
the auspices of WHO. It was designed to become a tool to manage
what has become the single biggest preventable cause of death.
There are currently an estimated 1.3 billion smokers worldwide.
Half of them, some 650 million people, are expected to die pre-
maturely of a tobacco-related disease.