PHA-Exchange> China, ASEAN seek ways to control tobacco

[WBB Trust]

China, ASEAN seek ways to control tobacco
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-09-29 15:30

Health officials and experts from China, 10 members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are
gathering here to discuss measures to curb the global tobacco epidemic which
causes 5 million deaths a year.
The officials and experts have focused their discussions on measures to
raise the capacity of each country in dealing with tobacco production and
consumption, and implement the measures via the WHO Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC), WHO representative in Vietnam, Hans Troedsson, said
at a press briefing about the ongoing ASEAN-China Workshop For Capacity
Building and WHO FCTC.
The main measures touched by delegates include the implementation of bans on
tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; adoption of high taxes on
cigarettes so that the taxes will represent 65-80 percent of their retail
prices; requirement of stronger health warnings on cigarette packages; and
the enforcement of policies which demand no-smoking in indoor workplaces and
public places.
"Vietnam has conducted many campaigns to promote tobacco-free activities
such as workplaces, weddings and funerals without cigarettes. This helps
considerably reduce the number of smokers among public servants and
workers," Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Le Ngoc Trong said at the
briefing, adding that over 50 percent of local men and around 3 percent of
local women are smokers.
On Wednesday and Thursday, over 70 delegates to the four-day workshops,
which was held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in coordination with the
WHO and started on Monday, are to highlight the significance and realization
of the FCTC. WHO's officials hope that the convention, which has been
ratified by 32 countries, will become effective in the next few months. An
article of the FCTC, the first global health treaty negotiated under the
auspices of the WHO, stipulates that 40 ratifications will be required
before it enters into force.
Regarding the ASEAN which comprises of Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, three of
its members, namely Brunei, Myanmar and Singapore have ratified the FCTC.
China and Vietnam signed the convention last year.
The FCTC's objective is to protect present and future generations from the
devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of
tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by providing a framework
for tobacco control measures to be implemented by the parties at the
national, regional and international levels in order to reduce continually
and substantially the prevalence of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco
smoke.

FWB
Syed Mahbubul Alam
Project Officer
Work for A Better Bangladesh