The long and winding road towards a tobacco-free world

Abstract

Next week, on Nov 8, an important deadline for ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) approaches. Any country that has not ratified the convention by then will not become a full party to its governing body, which will meet for the first time at the Conference of the Parties in Geneva, Feb 6–17, next year. At that meeting parties will take decisions on technical, procedural, and financial issues relating to the implementation of the convention.The FCTC has been rightly hailed as a milestone for the promotion of public health worldwide and WHO can be proud of its achievement. So far, 94 countries have ratified the FCTC, 41 of these in 2005, with China, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cyprus, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo becoming the latest nations to do so this October. China, with the world's largest cigarette market and with an estimated 350 million smokers, is a particularly important signatory. By ratifying the FCTC, China has taken an important and welcome step to protect its people's health. Rapid economic changes make China's large population especially vulnerable to a future epidemic of chronic diseases.Although the UK is among those countries that have ratified the FCTC, there was widespread condemnation last week by health workers and others, and cheers by British American Tobacco, when the Department of Health finally released its new Health Bill. Despite overwhelming general support for a total smoking ban in all workplaces, including all pubs and bars, the Bill reverted back to a compromise exempting private members clubs and pubs that do not serve food. Ridiculous discussions ensued about which items qualify as food. A packet of crisps, a sausage roll?The message is clear and the consequences fatal. The Government again drags its heels and puts so-called personal freedom, ill-judged in the context of tobacco, before health. The least any government should do is to protect its citizens from second-hand smoke—a proven human carcinogen. The Labour Government's spineless decision makes nonsense of its already paper-thin commitments to health inequalities adversely affecting those living in the most disadvantaged of circumstances. Next week, on Nov 8, an important deadline for ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) approaches. Any country that has not ratified the convention by then will not become a full party to its governing body, which will meet for the first time at the Conference of the Parties in Geneva, Feb 6–17, next year. At that meeting parties will take decisions on technical, procedural, and financial issues relating to the implementation of the convention. The FCTC has been rightly hailed as a milestone for the promotion of public health worldwide and WHO can be proud of its achievement. So far, 94 countries have ratified the FCTC, 41 of these in 2005, with China, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cyprus, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo becoming the latest nations to do so this October. China, with the world's largest cigarette market and with an estimated 350 million smokers, is a particularly important signatory. By ratifying the FCTC, China has taken an important and welcome step to protect its people's health. Rapid economic changes make China's large population especially vulnerable to a future epidemic of chronic diseases. Although the UK is among those countries that have ratified the FCTC, there was widespread condemnation last week by health workers and others, and cheers by British American Tobacco, when the Department of Health finally released its new Health Bill. Despite overwhelming general support for a total smoking ban in all workplaces, including all pubs and bars, the Bill reverted back to a compromise exempting private members clubs and pubs that do not serve food. Ridiculous discussions ensued about which items qualify as food. A packet of crisps, a sausage roll? The message is clear and the consequences fatal. The Government again drags its heels and puts so-called personal freedom, ill-judged in the context of tobacco, before health. The least any government should do is to protect its citizens from second-hand smoke—a proven human carcinogen. The Labour Government's spineless decision makes nonsense of its already paper-thin commitments to health inequalities adversely affecting those living in the most disadvantaged of circumstances.