TOBACCO: WHO Says Companies' Advertising Controls Do Not Work

UN Wire
2001-11-13

Read about a global call for action against tobacco advertising and the Malawi government's response.

Reprinted with permission from UN Wire, Nov. 2, 2001:

The World Health Organization yesterday called on the world's lawmakers to act against tobacco advertising to protect the health of both smokers and nonsmokers. Voluntary marketing controls such as those undertaken recently by companies including British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and JT International have proved to be a failure," said World Bank Tobacco Control Coordinator Joy de Bayer.

"We have seen no evidence that tobacco companies are capable of self-regulation," said WHO Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland, "and we need to be alert to any new attempts to persuade us that this new effort will succeed." Brundtland called tobacco addiction "a communicated disease -- communicated through advertising, promotion and sponsorship."

The tobacco companies have called on the United Nations, countries and the World Bank to put faith in their voluntary measures, but de Bayer, citing a WHO-World Bank study, said only "interventions like comprehensive advertisement bans and price increases have a measurable and sustained impact on decreased tobacco use."

The WHO, which has estimated last year's tobacco-related deaths at 4.2 million, this year called on member countries to step up monitoring of tobacco companies' activities, alleging that the companies have collaborated on overt and covert measures to counter tobacco control. Later this month, 191 countries will resume negotiations in Geneva on rules for global tobacco control. Tobacco companies, according to the WHO, have embarked on a massive global public relations campaign to "woo governments" away from agreeing to strict rules on tobacco advertising and promotion (WHO release, Nov. 1).

Tobacco Growers Worry About WHO Control Treaty

In Malawi this week, the 22-nation International Tobacco Growers' Association said the WHO's proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control would seriously undermine tobacco crops, which earn $4 billion worldwide annually.

"We are worried," said ITGA President Marcel Calico. "It means reduced market and production."

Malawi President Bakili Muluzi told the ITGA to "reach amicable and acceptable solutions" with the WHO on the framework convention. "We will continue producing and promoting tobacco until viable alternatives are found," Muluzi said of Malawi. Tobacco accounts for 70 percent of Malawi's foreign currency.

Muluzi also said he was encouraged that China, the world's most populous nation, was buying more tobacco. "The Chinese are smoking. I encourage you to smoke more," he said. "The more you smoke, the more we shall grow tobacco" (Agence France-Presse/news24.com, Oct. 29).