Towards global tobacco control

the World Health Organisation (who) recently released the draft tobacco treaty text. This would be the basis for final negotiations on the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (fctc) which, when adopted, will be a significant step towards combating global tobacco menace.
Excerpts from the text: The preamble of the text addressing the conference of parties (cop) to the convention states that cigarettes are engineered to create and maintain dependence.

• The tobacco industry and its products are responsible for harming public health and the environment. Each party should, therefore, determine the scope of such responsibility within its jurisdiction

• While implementing public health policies, the parties should avoid undue interference from the tobacco industry

• The cop should take coordinated tax measures with a view to prohibiting duty free sales of tobacco products

• Each party should ensure that tobacco packaging and labelling do not promote a tobacco product by any means that is false, misleading or otherwise deceptive

• The parties should adopt measures to reduce -- with a view to gradually eliminating -- the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products

• Subsidies, including tax exemptions, loans and rebates for tobacco growing and manufacturing of tobacco products should be eliminated

• The use of pesticides in tobacco cultivation should be monitored. Research should be conducted to find alternatives to pesticides.