PHA-Exchange> 100 COUNTRIES HAVE NOW SIGNED UN TOBACCO-CONTROL TREATY

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern.weitzel at undp.org>
> 100 COUNTRIES HAVE NOW SIGNED UN TOBACCO-CONTROL TREATY
> New York, Mar 25 2004 11:00AM
> One hundred countries representing 4.5 billion people have signed the
global treaty aimed at curbing tobacco use, which now claims
> nearly 5 million lives every year and causes an estimated annual net loss
of $200 billion in treatment and lost productivity, the
> United Nations health agency reported today.
>
> The milestone was reached with this week�s signatures by Ecuador and the
Republic of Congo of the UN World Health Organization
> (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which requires
countries to restrict tobacco advertising, sponsorship and
> promotion, set new labelling and clean indoor air controls and strengthen
legislation to clamp down on tobacco smuggling.
>
> WHO Director-General Lee Jong-wook praised the signatories for protecting
their populations from tobacco-related diseases.
>
> He called on all remaining nations to sign the Convention, the first
international treaty negotiated under WHO auspices, and on
> all signatories who have not yet ratified it to do so. The FCTC will enter
into force and become legally binding 90 days after the
> 40th ratification. So far nine countries have ratified it. Three months
remain before the end of the signature period. After that,
> nations can directly adopt the treaty as law without having signed it in a
process called �accession.�
>
> At the time of its unanimous adoption last May by WHO�s 192 members, the
agency warned that the annual death toll of 4.9 million,
> if left unchecked, could double by 2020.
>
> The tobacco epidemic is still expanding, especially in developing
countries where currently seven out of every 10 tobacco-related
> deaths occur, according to WHO. At current rates, the total number of
tobacco users is expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2025
> from 1.3 billion now.
>
> The European Community (EC) has also signed the treaty as a regional
economic integration organization, while its member states
> sign and ratify the treaty individually.
>   2004-03-25 00:00:00.000
>
> ________________
>
> For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
>
>
>