[Intl-tobacco] U.S., Germany, Japan Rebuff Ban on Tobacco Ads

[Robert Weissman]

U.S., Germany, Japan Rebuff Ban on Tobacco Ads - Reuters

Wednesday, October 16, 2002

By Richard Waddington
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States, Germany and Japan Wednesday firmly
rejected demands that a proposed global anti-smoking treaty include a
call to ban advertising.

Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO), which backs an
advertising ban, are meeting in Geneva to discuss an accord to wean the
world off a habit that leads to millions of deaths every year.

The United Nations health agency sees ending tobacco advertising and
sponsorship and raising prices for tobacco products as the two most
effective ways of bringing about a quick and sharp cut in consumption.

But the United States, backed by Germany and Japan, said it could not
support a treaty that either called for an outright ban on advertising
or even urged one.

"This is a red-line issue for us. A revision is necessary," the head of
the U.S. delegation said, referring to the wording of a draft text.
Washington has said an advertising ban would violate the U.S.
Constitution=B4s free speech guarantees.

The draft, drawn up by Brazil=B4s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Luiz
Seixas Correa, commits countries to "gradually" eliminating advertising
and sponsorship, as well as a raft of other measures ranging from
crackdowns on smuggling to cooperation in preparing litigation against
tobacco companies.

The proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the proposed first
international public health treaty, is likely to be agreed by the
majority of the WHO=B4s 192 member states by May 2003. Negotiations began
in 1999.

But health activists have accused the United States, Japan and Germany,
home to some of the world=B4s largest tobacco companies, of bowing to
industry pressure. Industry wants any restraints to be voluntary.

"The U.S. should obey another strong American principle, that the
majority rules, and not bow to the wishes of the tobacco industry," said
the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a U.S. pressure group. Delegates
said most countries taking the floor during the second of 10 days of
talks had supported a ban.

Ireland, speaking on behalf of 24 mainly European countries, urged the
inclusion of a ban "on all forms" of advertising, promotion and
sponsorship.

The WHO urged governments Monday to raise cigarette and tobacco prices
by at least five percent after inflation, which could save millions of
lives, according to a World Bank report.

The agency last week revised its annual death toll for smoking-related
diseases to 4.9 million people from 4.2 million, in part because of
better research into cardiovascular disease in developing countries,
including China and India.

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=3Dtopnews&StoryID=3D1585519