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March 2003
Landmark Decision
INSIDE
2 “Axis of Evil”
The world moves closer to a
and the “Real”
Weapon healthier, tobacco-free future
of Mass
Destruction Nearly 170 countries milestone in the
have backed a pact history of global public
against smoking, health” that will save
2 Newsbriefs including advertising millions and millions
bans, and pledged to of lives. WHO esti-
boost tobacco taxes mates that tobacco
3 Research concluding the land- kills more than five
mark Framework million persons every
Convention on To- year, a number
4 Some Nations bacco Control (FCTC), expected to jump to
Prefer Profits the world’s first to- 10 million in the next
A groundbreaking moment in public health
Over People bacco control treaty. history: The final round of negotiations for
30 years if no con-
the FCTC in Geneva. certed action is taken
Meeting in to control tobacco
Geneva, Switzerland use. Some 70% of
from February 11 to 28, majority of the these tobacco-related deaths will occur in
world’s nations hammered out a tough developing countries.
international health treaty over objections by
the United States, Germany and Japan. The The FCTC is the first international legal
FCTC will now go before the World Health instrument that restricts the global spread of
Assembly in May for adoption. Ratification tobacco and tobacco products. It addresses
by just 40 nations will make it an interna- thorny issues such as global advertising,
tional treaty binding on its signatories. smuggling and trade. The FCTC would
commit countries to measures aimed at
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtlandt, Director- reducing the enormous health problems
General of the World Health Organization caused by tobacco, particularly in develop-
(WHO), described the FCTC as “a real Continued on p. 4
World No Tobacco Day 2003
May 31 Event Focuses on Tobacco-Free Films/Fashion
P
lans are under way for the the impact of tobacco use on public WHO is calling on the entertain-
global celebration of World health and reduce individual ment industry, particularly the world
No Tobacco Day 2003 on tobacco-dependence. of films and fashion, to stop promot-
May 31, which will have for its ing a product that kills every second
theme “Tobacco Free Films, To- This year, WNTD will highlight regular user. In November 2002,
bacco Free Fashion: Action!” This the role of the fashion and film world WHO was joined by medical asso-
year’s series of events will focus on in fostering worldwide tobacco ciations and the Smoke Free Films
the global campaign against to- epidemic and urge them to stop project at the University of California
bacco in films, including television being used as vehicles of death and in San Francisco in its call to the
films and serials and in fashion. disease. The WNTD also hopes to entertainment and fashion industries
alert governments to the tobacco to ensure that their social responsi-
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) industry’s tactics to use fashion and
bility is commensurate with their
is being celebrated worldwide every films to circumvent legislation
year on May 31 to call attention to against tobacco advertising. Continued on p. 4
2
Axis of Evil and the Real Weapon of Mass Destruction
I
t is not a state but it commands respiratory system. studies show that 75% of teens shop
over US$120 billion in resources. at convenience stores weekly.
Its markets span the globe and its This entity is “Big Tobacco,” the Studies also show that teens are
opponents have assailed its youth- chilling name used to describe the more likely than adults to be influ-
targeted marketing tactics as “preda- world’s leading tobacco companies. enced by convenience store promo-
tory.” Its target consumers are Included in this circle are — Philip tions such as tobacco advertising.
impressionable teenagers, mainly in Morris, the world’s largest tobacco
developing countries, whom it turns company; RJ Reynolds, British According to the World Health
into junkies by advertising its toxic American Tobacco (the leading Organization’s Tobacco Atlas,
products as fashion statements in tobacco companies in Kenya and cigarette smoking is responsible for
tune with today’s hip youth lifestyle. Uganda); Lorillard and Japan To- more than 4.2 million deaths world-
bacco. wide in 2000. If current patterns of
Looked at from the point of view smoking persist, over ten million
of resources on hand, this entity is Big Tobacco is an expert at what people will die prematurely from a
the world’s seventh largest economic health authorities worldwide refer to tobacco-related disease annually by
power. If it had an army, it could fight as “predatory marketing,” a variant of 2025. Unless there is a war on
wars with its existing resources. But traditional marketing that targets tobacco, cigarettes will cut short the
this entity is waging war—a war teenagers and young women with the lives of 500 million of the 6 billion
against human health worldwide— intent of boosting tobacco sales at people on earth. Tobacco kills more
and it doesn’t need an army or the expense of their health. than AIDS, legal drugs, illegal drugs,
sophisticated military technology to In the USA, tobacco industry road accidents, murder and suicide
attain its aim of creating profits by marketing expenditures increased by combined. No doubt, tobacco is the
creating misery. 42 percent to a record US$9.6 billion REAL “weapon of mass destruction.”
This entity just needs to get into in 2000, according to the Federal In tandem with this enormous
the hands of its customers—espe- Trade Commission. Put in another health toll is the economic burden of
cially the young—with fancy and way, tobacco companies in the USA tobacco use: more than US$75
relentless advertising in the mass spend some US$26 million a day to billion in medical expenditures, and
media. Once hooked, many of its market their deadly products. another US$80 billion in indirect
victims are hooked for life and can Most of the increase was in retail costs. In all, smoking-related ill-
look forward to early deaths from store marketing, which is highly nesses cost the U.S. more than
cancer and other diseases of the effective at reaching children. U.S. US$150 billion each year.
newsbriefs
Bollywood blamed for China reduces tar content explore the development of low tar
teenage smoking in cigarettes cigarettes through the application of new
technology in 2002, and will further reduce
It appears that watching Bollywood The average tar content of cigarettes in the tar content to bring it into compliance
movies is dangerous to your health. In a China dropped by 0.6 milligrams from 2001 with the international standard of 12
WHO survey, it was found that three out of to 14.7 milligrams in 2002 according to the milligrams per cigarette by 2005. The
four films produced by Indias prolific film State Tobacco Monopoly Administration tobacco industry in China also adjusted its
industry over the past decade show their spokesman, Zhou Ruizeng, in Beijing. He structure by shutting down 35 pipe tobacco
stars smoking. It was also found that said that this conclusion was reached after factories due to the low quality of their
impressionable teenagers who watch 1,124 tests of 610 brands of cigarettes products.l
Bollywood characters smoke are three times produced by all of Chinas cigarette factories.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
as likely to do so and are 16 times more Zhou Ruizeng also reported that the
likely to think positively about smoking. Chinese tobacco industry continued to Tobacco, alcohol top the
It is the first such study of Indias drug abuse toll
vast film industry as part of an interna- Tobacco and alcohol accounted for 83
tional campaign to cut tobacco use by percent of the cost of drug abuse in
targeting the worlds biggest film Australia, dwarfing the financial impact of
industries. Bollywood produces 800 films illegal drugs, according to a report
a year which are watched by 15 million produced by Australias National Drug
people every day, including people of Strategy. The report estimates that in
Pakistan and Bangladesh.l 1998-99, tobacco accounted for A$21
Source: The Guardian
billion, or 60 percent of the costs of drugs
to individuals, business and government.
Research
3
Fluctuations in smoking Women who had been educated
above high school level were 55
While the United States is during pregnancy percent more likely to quit and
leading the international fight against relapse compared to those with
terrorism, it is also the leading A study
lower education levels.
country in a three-nation “Axis of recently published
Evil” that is stymieing a concerted in Obstetrics & The researchers said that their findings
effort to ban tobacco advertising Gynecology are important for those interested in the
around the world. Allied with the showed that many effects of fetal exposure to cigarette
United States in this Axis that women give up smoke.l
defends the tobacco companies’ smoking during
Ref: Picket K et al. Fluctuations of maternal smoking
right to advertise on the flimsy pregnancy but during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003;
excuse that any ban would violate relapse several 101: 140-147
constitutional guarantees on freedom times, with women
of speech are Germany and Japan. from lower socio- Tobacco helps cancer cells
economic groups at avoid detection
A few weeks ago, referring to greatest risk for
Iraq, US President George Bush continuing to smoke A new research conducted by Dr. Jane
once again echoed “…. the global while pregnant. A. McCutcheon and her team at New York
threat of proliferation of weapons of University discovered that cells exposed to
mass destruction cannot be con- The women in tobacco have fewer substances on their
A healthier baby surfaces used to signal whether or not the
fronted by one nation alone... A the study con- from a non-
threat to all must be answered by all. ducted in the US smoking mother. cell is dangerous and should be destroyed
High-minded pronouncements had all reported by the immune system.
against proliferation mean little smoking during pregnancy. The study found
The cellular warning devices known as
unless the strongest nations are that:
HLA class 1 molecules were found to be
willing to stand behind them — and
A substantial proportion of women reduced when exposed to tobacco. Dr.
use force if necessary.’’
had repeated quit attempts and McCutcheon noted that tobacco has a lot of
Unfortunately, in fighting ciga- relapses in smoking during preg- ingredients, and she and her team remain
rette smoking, the world’s REAL nancy. Forty-eight percent of women unsure about which particular ingredients
greatest weapon of mass destruc- quit or reduced their smoking, but might interfere with the cells production of
tion, Bush is leaving the world alone more than half changed the intensity HLA class 1.l
and is opposing FCTC.l of their smoking several times; Source: Reuters Health
newsbriefs “We need to reduce
smoking even at the cost
Alcohol made up $7.5 billion or 22 percent, ago, Nam Jung-ja, director of the depart-
and illicit drug accounted for A$6 billion or ment of health research at Korea Institute
of reducing tax
17 percent. for Health and Social Affairs (KIHS) has revenues. Smoking in
said. public places where
Professor David Collins, one of the
reports authors, said that the report had A KIHS survey conducted on 37,769 people gather should be
measured, for the first time, the cost of people across the nation in 2001 revealed controlled in par ticular.”
passive smoking to the community and a lot that 31.7 percent of the surveyed between — Kim Dae-Jung
of the impact is on the unborn child and on 20 and 59 years old were found to smoke, South Korean President
children under 14 years. He also said that down 4.5 percentage points from 36.2 February 2001
tobacco is still the greatest killer by far and percent in 1998.
imposes the greatest costs. The message
from this report is that the costs are so high The figure marks a decline in the
the potential benefit of a small reduction is smoking rate for the first time in the past
substantial. Anti-tobacco programs yield decade. The smoking rate recorded 35.8
very high rates of return. percent in 1989, dropped slightly to 33.9 Tobacco Free Initiative
percent in 1992, but climbed to 35.5 percent WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
The report put the cost of fires resulting in 1995 and 36.2 percent in 1998. Western Pacific Regional Office
from smoking at A$81 million.l P.O Box 2932 (U.N. Avenue)
The survey said the smoking rate of 1000 Manila
South Koreas smoking men fell 3.9 percentage points to 65.4 Philippines
rate posts sharp decline percent from 69.3 percent three years ago,
Tel: 63-2-5288001
Fax: 63-2-5211036
whereas the rate for women also dropped to
South Koreas anti-smoking drive in the TFI E-mail: tfi@wpro.who.int
3.9 percent from 6.7 percent.l
last few years has pushed down significantly WPRO Website: www.wpro.who.int/
the national smoking rate from three years Source: Korea Times
4 Some Nations Prefer Profits Over People
A vast majority of the world, led by developing nations, has shown
their commitment to a strong, enforceable FCTC that prioritizes health
over tobacco industry profits. However, the United Sates, Japan and
Germany, which are all home to powerful tobacco companies, have
objected to the final draft and insist they will not adopt the treaty in its
current form.
Both the United States, which already has some of the toughest
anti-smoking laws in the world, and Germany are objecting to the
advertising ban because it would violate constitutional right to free
speech.
WHO Director-General Dr.
Brundtlandt congratulates INB-6 Citing the sacred principle of free speech under its constitution, the
Chair Ambassador Correa on a job
well done. (Photo credit: P Virot)
US negotiators said Washington “cannot accept” provisions related to
packaging, advertising and sales that would “violate” its laws.
The world moves ... Japan, reportedly, is unwilling to endorse the treaty because the
Japanese Government holds majority share in Japan Tobacco, Inc.
Continued from p.1
Sources indicate that a substantial amount of revenue for the govern-
ing nations. ment is generated by this tobacco company.
The FCTC will also set stan- As a result, 49 percent of Japan’s adult male population to continue
to smoke, the highest rate among industrialized countries.
dards for health labels on cigarette
packets and call for higher govern- NGOs and member states supportive of tobacco control have
ment taxes to discourage tobacco criticized powerful nations for putting profits over people, and under-
consumption. mining the FCTC. The bottom line, as Kathryn Mulvey of Infact puts it,
“The fate of this groundbreaking treaty will come down to whether
Luis Felipe Seixas Correa,
health or commercial interests are paramount.” l
chairman of the WHO talks, said the
objective of the FCTC is to save
lives and create a structure for WHO and its Member States from the U.S., Germany and Japan,
international legislation. “That will spent three years crafting the FCTC. home to the world’s giant tobacco
help us to save millions and millions The treaty represents a victory for corporations, to weaken the treaty.
of lives at risk today from the use of African, Asian, Caribbean, Eastern The message is clear: Majority of
tobacco and passive smoking,” he Mediterranean and Pacific Island the world’s countries want a
said. countries. They resisted pressure healthier, tobacco-free future.l
1988 to 1997, tobacco was present
World No Tobacco Day
in more than 85% the top 25 box
Continued from p.1 office films (a total of 250 films) and
tobacco brands appeared in 28% of
global influence. Hollywood and
those films.
Bollywood — the Indian films
industry in the city of Mumbai — The tobacco industry has also
were invited to join the worldwide used fashion as an effective mar-
movement to rid films of their keting tool in portraying cigarettes
tobacco-promoting role. as a fashionable accessory and a
useful tool to increase its market.
WHO sees tobacco epidemic as
They have utilised fashion models
a communicated disease and its use
who now have as much star power
is directly or indirectly promoted
as actors and actresses.l
through films and fashion in ways
that make smoking seem glamor-
ous, particularly for women and
young people. The World No F details on WNTD 2003
or
Tobacco Day (WNTD) presents an and samples of advocacy
opportunity to take action against to build national recognition in an
exciting setting because there is an materials, check out the
the promotion of smoking in theatre,
films and fashion. implied celebrity endorsement to a TFI-WPRO website at
captive audience. In 1989, 150 films
Product placement of tobacco in were monitored and tobacco was http://wpro.who.int/tfi
films and television is a clever way found in 83% of these films. From
