[Intl-tobacco] Make Your Voices Heard on the FCTC!

[Robert Weissman]

Make Your Voices Heard on the FCTC!

BACKGROUND:

The U.S. negotiating delegation to the Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control is preparing for the 2nd round of negotiations on the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and is seeking seeking comments from
the public on the current draft of the treaty.  (A fact sheet providing a
quick overview of the FCTC can be found at:
http://tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/global/docs/who.pdf

In order to solicit comments, the delegation, led by representatives of
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is holding a public
hearing in San Francisco on March 8, 2001.  In addition DHHS is accepting
written comments until March 15, 2001.

The Chairman of the negotiations has recently released a draft text of the
FCTC.  The U.S. delegation is specifically requesting feedback on the
Chairman's text. A copy can be found at:
http://www.who.int/wha-1998/Tobacco/INB2/PDFinb2/e2inb2.pdf


REQUESTED ACTION:

1. Please submit comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Comments can be submitted electronically by sending an e-mail to
<FCTCOIRH@osophs.dhhs.gov>. Please send copies to <awhite@essential.org>.

To submit comments by mail, send to: FCTC Comments (Attn: Ms. Amal
Thomas), Office of International and Refugee Health, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Room 18-105, Rockville, MD 20857. The deadline for receiving submissions
is March 15, 2001.

2. If you can, please attend the meeting, which will be held on March 8,
2001, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99
Grove Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102.  Seating capacity is 100
people. Comments also will be accepted during the public meeting. Those
who wish to attend are encouraged to register early with the contact
person listed below.

Contact: Ms. Joy Epstein, Office of International and Refugee Health, 5600
Fishers Lane, Room 18-105, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-443-1774 (telephone)
or 301-443-6822 (facsimile) or <FCTCOIRH@osophs.dhhs.gov>


GENERAL TALKING POINTS:

The good: The Chair's draft establishes as its objective the reduction in
the prevalence of tobacco use and the protection of present and future
generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and
economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco
smoke.

Also good: the draft proposes negotiating separate, topic-specific
protocols to the treaty on the issues of tobacco advertising, promotion
and sponsorship; the elimination of illicit trade in tobacco products
(smuggling); and regulation of the contents of tobacco products, tobacco
product disclosures, and packaging and labeling of tobacco products. These
are important areas that should be addressed by protocols negotiated at
the same time as the framework treaty, to provide substantive coverage
over and above the preliminary provisions in the draft.

What is needed: If it is to achieve its stated objective, the framework
treaty itself should also contain meaningful provisions governing price
and tax measures to reduce demand, environmental tobacco smoke
restrictions, the banning of 'light' and 'low' claims, education, training
and public awareness campaigns, prevention and cessation measures, and
elimination of sales to youth.

VERY BAD: the ADVERTISING provisions. The initial proposal is limited to a
ban on advertising targeted to persons under 18 and strict restrictions on
promotions and sponsorships targeted at older persons. As the Aermican
Lung Association has put it: "This definition provides a huge loophole for
the tobacco industry to simply claim its marketing efforts are directed at
adults and escape any meaningful restrictions. The Framework Convention
should include strong provisions banning tobacco advertising/promotion and
sponsorship. Report after report on the effects of tobacco advertising on
children indicate that tobacco advertising glamorizes and legitimizes
tobacco use, increases social and peer pressure among young people to use
tobacco products, and creates a false impression that tobacco products
pose no significant health risk. As a result, tobacco advertising and
promotion overwhelms the efforts of parents, as well as governments, to
educate youth about the health effects of tobacco."


MORE INFORMATION ON THE FCTC CAN BE FOUND AT:

http://tobacco.who.int/en/fctc/index.html (World Health Oragnization)
http://www.fctc.org/ (Framework Convention Alliance)
http://tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/global/ (Campaign for Tobacco Free
Kids)