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Action on Smoking and Health
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Ireland Ratifies the FCTC; EU Expected to Follow [06/18-3]
Excerpts from: Irish Government ratifies World Tobacco Treaty
Politics.ie [06/17/04]
The Minister for Health and Children, Micheal Martin TD, today (Thursday, 17 June) ratified the world's first health treaty, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The Minister said the decision to ratify was made at last Tuesday's cabinet meeting and he also said that the European Union (EU) is now finalising the process of ratifying the FCTC too. Minister Martin said that the treaty would be laid before the Oireachtas for final approval within the next few weeks.
Minister Martin was speaking at the "Change is in the Air" conference, which is being held in the Radisson SAS Hotel, Limerick over the next two days. The conference is being hosted by the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children to coincide with Ireland's Presidency of the European Union (EU). It is being addressed by leading international and national speakers who are examining the issue of the future direction of tobacco control policy in the EU.
Minister Martin said that the Convention, which has been signed by 128 countries around the world and ratified by 22, including Ireland, will be an important public health instrument as it sets the context for further measure to respond effectively to the health threat of tobacco. The Minister pointed out that a total of 40 ratifications will be required for the treaty to enter into force.
"A recent World Health Organization report stated that the majority of smokers in the world today, over 80% are in developing countries. The global tobacco industry is concentrating its efforts in developing new markets in these countries."
Dr Vera da Costa Silva, Director of the Tobacco Free Initiative at the WHO, explained that the FCTC is a tool to deal with what has become a worldwide health threat.
"The FCTC aims to protect national legislation from being circumvented by transnational activities, like cross-border advertising and smuggling of tobacco products. The Convention sets an international floor for tobacco control with provisions on several issues such as advertising and sponsorship, tax and price increases, labelling, illicit trade and second-hand smoke."
click here to view a list of other countries which have signed and ratified the FCTC
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