[Intl-tobacco] U.S. Should Sign AND Ratify International Tobacco Treaty - TFK

[Robert Weissman]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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TO:		Editorial Board Writers, Columnists and Reporters


FROM:	Judith P. Wilkenfeld, Director of International Programs, Campaign
for Tobacco-Free Kids

DATE:	April 8, 2004

RE:	U.S. should sign AND ratify international tobacco treaty


On May 21, 2003, the world's nations took an historic step toward containing
the global death toll from tobacco use by approving the first international
public health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.  Since
then, a growing number of nations have begun to turn the treaty's promise
into action by signing and ratifying the treaty and even starting to
implement its provisions.  Unfortunately, the United States to date has
taken no action in support of the treaty.  To advance efforts to address
tobacco's tremendous toll both in the United States and around the world,
the U.S. government must sign AND ratify this treaty, as well as support its
effective implementation domestically and internationally.

Signing the treaty without committing to its ratification would be little
more than a public relations gesture because signing does not commit the
U.S. to implement any of its provisions. Unless signing is accompanied by
submission of the treaty to the Senate for ratification, our government
would not be a leader in taking real action to contain the global tobacco
epidemic.  Signing alone would create the illusion of a commitment to
addressing the tobacco problem without any meaningful action to actually
reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences.

The treaty will enter into force and become international law after 40
countries have ratified it.  To date, there have been 102 signatories to the
treaty (including the European Community) and nine countries have ratified
it.  While the World Health Organization has set a deadline of June 29 for
nations to sign the treaty, signing the treaty by itself is largely a
symbolic act.  In fact, the United States does not actually have to sign the
treaty in order to submit it to the Senate for ratification.  Ratification
is a far more important step than signature because only ratification by a
sufficient number of countries can bring the treaty into force and only
ratification can obligate nations to implement its provisions.

Ratification and implementation of the treaty are critical to turning the
tide of the global tobacco epidemic.  Tobacco use already kills more than
four million people worldwide every year.  If current trends continue, it
will kill 10 million a year within two decades, with 70 percent of those
deaths in developing nations.  These nations have been the primary targets
of the tobacco companies as smoking rates have slowly declined in more
developed nations.

The treaty gives nations powerful new tools to protect the health of their
citizens from the tobacco industry's deceptions and slick marketing.  It
requires ratifying nations to adopt two policies proven to reduce smoking
and save lives: a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and
sponsorship, with an exception for nations with constitutional constraints,
and large health warning labels that cover at least 30 percent of cigarette
packs.  The treaty also provides nations with a roadmap for enacting strong,
science-based policies in other areas, including secondhand smoke
protections, tobacco taxation, tobacco product regulation and measures to
combat cigarette smuggling.

Although the policies endorsed by the treaty reflect the best
recommendations of the United States' own scientific experts and studies,
the U.S. government consistently fought to weaken almost every provision of
the treaty during negotiations and supported positions consistent with those
of the tobacco industry.  Delegates to the negotiations reported that the
U.S. threatened to withhold monetary and technical assistance to
international tobacco control efforts if its positions were not adopted.
Fortunately, developing nations that are on the front lines of the tobacco
epidemic stood up to these efforts, and a strong treaty was negotiated and
adopted.  While the U.S. last May joined other nations in unanimously
agreeing to send the treaty out for ratification, it did so only after its
last-ditch effort to reopen negotiations failed.  Our government has never
actually endorsed the treaty's specific provisions or made a commitment to
ratification.

By signing and ratifying the treaty, and supporting its effective
implementation domestically and internationally, the U.S. can begin to undo
the tremendous harm it did during the treaty negotiations and again
become a
leader in protecting public health around the world.
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