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Action on Smoking and Health
A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
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W.H.O. Calls for Extra Measures in New Tobacco Control Treaty [08/05-1]
Excerpts from: UN health agency urges even stronger measures to curb tobacco
use
UN
News Centre [08/04/03]
With tobacco killing 4.9 million people each year, the United Nations World
Health Organization (WHO) has called for extra measures going beyond those required
by the new tobacco control treaty unanimously adopted by the 192-member agency
in May, including increased taxes.
Urging member states to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as quickly as possible to prevent further loss of lives from tobacco-related diseases, WHO Director-General Lee Jong-wook told the 12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, currently underway in Helsinki, Finland, that the convention’s obligations were not the optimum.
Minimum FCTC obligations include prominent health warnings on tobacco packages
that should take up half the package, comprehensive advertising, sponsorship
and promotion bans in accordance with countries’ constitutions, and steps
to protect people from tobacco smoke indoors in public places including the
workplace.
Since its adoption, one country, Norway, has already ratified the FCTC and 28
countries and the European Community (EC) signed it in June on the opening day
for signatures. Forty countries must ratify it before it can enter into force
and be a legally binding document.
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