PRESS RELEASE
February 27, 2005, for immediate release

Global Tobacco Treaty NOW In Effect
FCAP Urges the Philippine Government to Immediately Ratify the FCTC

Today, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) came into force. The international tobacco treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), has now become international law. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP) applauds the 57 countries that have ratified this important treaty, prevailing against the lobby of tobacco companies, who sought to derail it. The treaty is a major step forward in the worldwide battle against the death and disease caused by the tobacco epidemic, the second major cause of death in the world. It provides the basic tools for countries to enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation and take on the powerful tobacco industry.

The biggest beneficiaries of the FCTC are the many low income and developing countries from the Asia-pacific, Africa, and Latin America who form the bulk of the 57 nations who ratified the treaty. They seized the opportunity to ratify early and are now positioned to address the tobacco pandemic confronting them.

Unfortunately, the Philippines is not yet among the countries who have ratified the FCTC. We thus call on our government leaders to immediately ratify and implement the treaty. Ratification and implementation of this treaty are critical to protecting our citizens and our country from the devastating health and economic impacts of tobacco.

The entry into force of the FCTC marks a historic moment for global public health. This groundbreaking, legally binding treaty provides countries basic tools to protect the health of their citizens from the tobacco industry's deceptions and slick marketing. It requires ratifying nations to adopt policies proven to reduce smoking and save lives such as: a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and large, graphic health warning labels that cover at least 30 percent of cigarette packs. The treaty also provides nations with a roadmap for enacting strong, science-based policies in other areas, including protection from secondhand smoke, increased tobacco taxation, and measures to combat cigarette smuggling.

Tobacco is the second leading cause of death globally and the only legal product that causes the death of half of its regular users. This means that out of 1.3 billion smokers currently, 650 million people will die prematurely.

The WHO estimates that approximately five million people die each year from tobacco use. If current trends continue, this figure will reach 10 million per year by 2030, with 70 percent of those deaths occurring in developing countries. While the measures in the FCTC represent a minimum set of tobacco control policies, the treaty explicitly encourages countries to go above and beyond these measures.

Strong action on the part of countries will give them the opportunity to reduce the human suffering caused by tobacco and curb runaway costs of tobacco-related health care. Weak interpretation and poor implementation of the FCTC's provisions will not promote public health or save lives. Countries should aim for tight, maximum protection for the public rather than settle for the bare minimum.

With the entry into force of this Treaty, countries Party to the WHO FCTC are bound to translate its general provisions into national laws and regulations. These countries, for example, will have three years from the day it enters into force for that country to implement measures to ensure that tobacco packaging has strong health warnings, or five years to establish comprehensive tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans, among others.

We urge the Philippine government and all countries to become Party to this Treaty, and to implement the range of measures which will make tobacco use less and less attractive to people. This can result in millions of lives saved, and that is where the real success of this Treaty resides.

For further details, please contact:
FCAP Secretariat
2/F Philippine Heart Center
Tel # 9252401 loc. 3245
Fax # 9252401 loc. 3232
Mobile # 0921-5432607 / 0917-6283502
URL : http://fcap.globalink.org