Tobacco

WDM campaigned on Tobacco multinationals in 1999.

Background

Tobacco multinationals are facing increasing restrictions on the marketing of tobacco in the west.  They are therefore seeking to expand markets in the south by using aggressive marketing methods, which are now banned in many industrialised countries, to target in particular children, young people and women.  If current trends continue, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that the number of smoking related deaths in the south will increase from 1 million to 7 million a year by 2020. 

Campaign

In May 1996 at the World Heath Assembly, governments adopted a resolution calling on the director general of the WHO to initiate a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but little else was done.  In Autumn 1998, the UK government was due to publish a white paper on Tobacco.  WDM supporters successfully persuaded the UK government to include a commitment to global regulation on tobacco marketing in the white paper.  The 1999 World Health Assembly authorised work on the Framework Convention which came into force in 2005.

WDM continues to ensure that the initiative is backed by the provision of funding and human resources, and that the UK does take a lead on the WHO Convention.

For further information on the current campaign please contact:

• Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) http://www.ash.org.uk
• Framework Convention Alliance http://www.fctc.org