The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) celebrates its 20th anniversary this week.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO),
- “Tobacco is a scourge on humanity and a leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide.”
- “Since the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its accompanying MPOWER technology program, global tobacco use has fallen by a third over the past two decades. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has helped save millions of lives by strengthening global tobacco control measures. The Convention is a landmark in public health and international law. We continue to call on countries to further strengthen and implement their measures, and on countries that have not yet done so to ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
Since its implementation 20 years ago, as many as 5.6 billion people are now covered by at least one treaty-compliant tobacco control policy, and studies have shown a decline in global smoking rates.
Under the Convention, 138 countries require large graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, and dozens of other countries have implemented plain packaging requirements for cigarette packages, which require that cigarette packages have a standard shape and appearance and must not carry brands, designs, or logos. Both measures are powerful tools to reduce tobacco consumption and warn users of the dangers of smoking.
Today, more than a quarter of the world’s population has access to smoke-free policies that require smoking to be banned indoors and in the workplace, saving millions of lives from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. More than 66 countries have implemented policies banning tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. These include bans on tobacco advertising in the media and sponsorship deals, and more countries must do the same.
The tobacco industry is aggressive, spending tens of billions of dollars to market its products and actively undermining tobacco control efforts, including the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which has also played an important role in establishing legal defenses against this situation.
Adriana Blanco Marquizo, head of the WHO FCTC secretariat, said:
- “The tobacco industry, the deadly industry behind the tobacco epidemic, is now trying to position itself as part of the solution while actively undermining tobacco control efforts that could save millions of lives.”
- “The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides Parties with a comprehensive set of measures to protect people from the tobacco industry’s evolving tactics – which aim to make profits at the expense of people’s lives and the health of the planet. We call on Parties to remain vigilant against its predatory tactics.”
- “Despite great progress in tobacco control, there is still a long way to go. The tobacco industry still kills millions of people every year, and its socioeconomic burden puts pressure on entire populations. We call on countries to fully implement the measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including raising tobacco taxes, implementing smoke-free laws, banning advertising and sponsorship, banning and regulating ingredients in tobacco products, and taking action to address the challenges posed by emerging tobacco and nicotine products. With these measures, we can save millions of lives around the world. We call on countries to redouble their efforts to ensure that tobacco control remains a public health and development priority.”
Smoking is a major cause of non-communicable diseases (NCDS) and can lead to premature death and disability. Tobacco-related diseases lead to catastrophic health expenditures, especially for the poor, trapping families in a cycle of poverty. Smokers are more likely to be food insecure than non-smokers, including in wealthier countries. In addition, tobacco farming takes up large amounts of land that could otherwise be used to support sustainable food production systems.
Tobacco production further depletes vital resources such as land and water, making these resources unavailable for sustainable food production. In addition, trillions of discarded plastic cigarette butts pollute ecosystems every year, further harming the planet.
The tobacco industry continues to undermine public health efforts, aggressively targeting young people through marketing, lobbying against tobacco control policies, and positioning itself as part of the solution to the problems it creates.
Reina Roa, president of the Conference of the Parties, the governing body of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, added,
- “The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is one of the greatest achievements in the history of public health. Since its inception, and as President of the Conference of the Parties, I have witnessed its impact. I keep seeing how this treaty gives countries the tools they need to protect their populations from the devastating tobacco epidemic. We celebrate 20 years of progress, commitment, and lives saved under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Happy anniversary to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the first public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO, with 183 parties covering 90% of the world’s population. The Treaty provides a legal framework and a set of evidence-based tobacco control measures based on international law. The treaty provides a legal framework and a set of evidence-based tobacco control measures based on international law that have saved millions of lives, including large graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, smoke-free laws, and increased taxes on tobacco products.
