ENEWS: WHO Appoints Outside Experts to Review Alleged Tobacco IndustryAttempts to "Undermine" UN-Wide Tobacco Control Efforts"

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

WHO Appoints Outside Experts to Review Alleged Tobacco Industry Attempts
to "Undermine" UN-Wide Tobacco Control Efforts"
Source: World Health Organization , Tuesday, 10/12/99
                  
                                                                              
Press Release WHO/59
12 October 1999


  The World Health Organization (WHO) believes in fair and
  transparent dialogue with all sectors of society working to advance
  the cause of public health. As the world's premier health agency,
  WHO works closely with ministries of health in Member States,
  health professionals, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), media
  and with the private sector including pharmaceutical companies and
  private industry. WHO values their inputs and believes that together
  the world can achieve WHO's goal of health for all.

  Tobacco, however, falls in another category. A cigarette is the only
  freely available consumer product, which, when regularly consumed
  as indicated, kills. Four million people die annually from tobacco;
  this figure will increase to 10 million by 2030, and 70% of these
  deaths will be in developing countries.

  Documentary evidence points to a systematic and global effort by
  the tobacco industry to undermine tobacco control policy and
  research and development within the United Nations (UN) family,
  including its Member States, and within the academic and NGO
  communities.

  Consequently, WHO Director-General Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland
  today called for preliminary enquiry into the nature and extent of the
  undue influence which the tobacco industry has exercised over UN
  organizations.

  While the full extent of the tobacco industry's negative impact within
  the UN is not known, an initial analysis shows clear efforts to
  prevent implementation of healthy public policy and efforts to
  reduce funding of tobacco control within UN organizations, with a
  view to safeguarding the tobacco industry's interests.

  Dr Brundtland today declared that, "WHO is deeply concerned about
  the nature of the evidence in the 35 million documents that have now
  become available in the public domain (as a result of the Minnesota,
  United States court case)." In October 1998, she told a seminar on
  "Industry Disclosures and Public Health" that WHO would examine
  the emerging evidence with great interest to ascertain the next
  steps. The time to take action has come. 

  "Last month the US government filed a case against the tobacco
  industry alleging more than 100 acts of racketeering by the industry.
  The UK House of Commons has launched an enquiry into the
  tobacco industry. A growing number of WHO Member States are
  weighing their options to deal with the tobacco industry including
  litigation," added Dr Brundtland.

  WHO chairs the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Tobacco Control.
  Because of this system-wide responsibility for tobacco control, Dr
  Brundtland believes that other UN agencies should join the WHO in
  conducting a preliminary enquiry into the nature of the documents
  and their undue influence on UN organizations and based upon this
  review, decide on an appropriate course of action.

  "WHO has appointed Dr Thomas Zeltner, member of WHO Executive
  Board from Switzerland, to lead a committee of independent experts
  to review available documents and report to WHO before it
  considers next steps. I make this decision in the spirit of full and
  complete transparency, but above all, in the service of public
  health," said Dr Brundtland.



  For further information, journalists can contact Gregory Hartl, WHO, Geneva. Telephone (41 22) 791 44 58. Fax (41 22)
  791 48 58. E-Mail: hartlg@who.int

  All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on this subject can be obtained on
  Internet on the WHO home page http://www.who.int