AP: countries open moves toward tobacco control treaty

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

countries open moves toward tobacco control treaty
by AP World News via NewsEdge
;Date: Monday, 5/24/99
     
GENEVA - AP World News via NewsEdge Corporation : The World Health 
Organization's members agreed Saturday to start efforts to negotiate a world 
treaty on controlling the use of tobacco.


The resolution sanctioning the move was approved unopposed by a committee of 
the WHO's annual assembly. The committee represents all 191 member countries, 
but the resolution must be rubber-stamped next week by the full assembly.


The tobacco treaty talks ``will constitute a global complement to national and 
local action, and will support and accelerate the work of member states with 
weaker tobacco control programs,'' the resolution said.


In a report issued Tuesday at the WHO meeting, the World Bank said developing 
countries would save millions of lives without hurting their economies if they 
adopted a range of measures to control tobacco use.


It said governments should look at raising cigarette taxes, banning advertising
and providing information on the health risks of smoking.


WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland has said the number of smokers 
worldwide will rise to 1.6 billion from 1 billion over the next 20 years at 
present rates.


The World Bank report said that, with current smoking patterns, more than 500 
million people alive today would eventually be killed by tobacco use, and by 
2030 it would be the single biggest cause of death worldwide.


        
        [Copyright 1999, Associated Press]