[Intl-tobacco] 2001-01-18 Executive Order on Federal Leadership on Global Tobacco

[Robert Weissman]

                            THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                   January 18, 2001

                            EXECUTIVE ORDER

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      FEDERAL LEADERSHIP ON GLOBAL TOBACCO CONTROL AND PREVENTION


     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as
follows:

     Section 1.  Policy.  It shall be the policy of the executive branch
to take strong action to address the potential global epidemic of
diseases caused by tobacco use.  The executive branch shall undertake
activities to increase its capacity to address global tobacco prevention
and control issues through coordinated domestic action, limited
bilateral assistance to individual nations, and support to multilateral
organizations.  International activities shall be directed towards
deterring children from tobacco use, protecting nonsmokers, and
providing information about the adverse health effects of tobacco use
and the health benefits of cessation.

     Sec. 2.  Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies.  (a)
Tobacco Trade Policy.  In the implementation of international trade
policy, executive departments and agencies shall not promote the sale or
export of tobacco or tobacco products, or seek the reduction or removal
of foreign government restrictions on the marketing and advertising of
such products, provided that such restrictions are applied equally to
all tobacco or tobacco products of the same type.  Departments and
agencies are not precluded from taking necessary actions in accordance
with the requirements and remedies available under applicable United
States trade laws and international agreements to ensure
nondiscriminatory treatment of United States products.  Nothing in this
Executive Order shall be construed (1) to modify the annual executive
branch guidance to United States diplomatic posts on health, trade, and
commercial aspects of tobacco, or (2) to affect any negotiating position
of the United States on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

     (b) The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Role in
Tobacco Trade Policy Deliberations.  The HHS shall be included in all
deliberations of interagency working groups, chaired by the United
States Trade Representative (USTR), that address issues relating to
trade in tobacco and tobacco products.  Through such participation, HHS
shall advise the USTR, and other interested Federal agencies, of the
potential public health impact of any tobacco-related trade action that
is under considera--tion.  Upon conclusion of a trade agreement that
includes provisions specifically addressing tobacco or tobacco products,
the USTR shall produce and make publicly available a summary describing
those provisions.

     (c) International Tobacco Control Needs Assessment.  The HHS, with
the cooperation of the Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture,
and in consultation with the appropriate national Ministry of Health,
shall conduct a pilot assessment of tobacco use in a country other than
the United States.  Such assessment will be carried out through a
compilation and review of surveys and other needs assessments already
available and include:

     (1) initial estimates of the burden of disease and other public
     health consequences of tobacco use;

     (2) the status of tobacco control regulatory measures in place to
     curtail tobacco consumption and tobacco related disease; and

     (3) an analysis of the marketing, distribution, and manufacturing
     practices of tobacco companies in given regions, and the impact of
     those practices on smoking rates, particularly among women and
     children.

Such assessment shall be prepared and provided to interested agencies
and other parties not later than December 31, 2001, and be updated as
practicable.

     (d) Research and Training in Tobacco Control.  The HHS will develop
a research and training program linking institutions in the United
States and certain other countries in the field of tobacco control.
Emphasis will be placed on the collection of standardized and comparable
surveillance data; networks for communication, information and best
practices; and the development and evaluation of culturally-targeted
approaches to preventing tobacco use and increasing quit rates,
especially among women and children.

     Sec. 3.  General.  (a) Executive departments and agencies shall
carry out the provisions of this order to the extent permitted by law
and consistent with their statutory and regulatory authorities and their
enforcement mechanisms.

     (b) This order clarifies and strengthens Administration policy and
does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law by a party against the United States, its officers or
employees, or any other person.


                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON


                              THE WHITE HOUSE,
                              January 18, 2001.

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