Framework Convention Alliance Issue 57, Geneva 7 February 2006

Weather outlook: FCA B ULLETIN Chilly, cooler later

T O BAC C O P ROD UCT REGULATION — W H O ’ S R E A L LY I N C H A RG E ?

Remarkably, for a INSIDE THIS ISSUE: uniquely harmful con- sumer product that kills Règlementation — 2 approximately half of its recommandations users, what goes into and comes out of Let us speak! 3 products remains virtually unregulated in most con- Focus on FCTC 4 sumer markets.

5 Furthermore, the main Making it happen bodies involved in setting 5 standards for tobacco Costa Rica—ratificar products, such as Interna- cuanto antes tional Organisation for BAT in Honduras, guaranteeing quality the ISO way Talk to us! 6 Standardisation (ISO), are dominated by the tobacco any significant changes to rettes are “ certificated to industry. their products. ISO standard 9001 and 14001 ”, is a good exam- This is completely inap- The industry must not be ple of how the tobacco propriate as the industry involved in establishing industry misuses regula- What’s on today? has a vested interest in standards for product tion to market its prod- providing as little informa- testing. WHO Briefing: tion as possible about the ucts. ISO standards bear dangers of and This ad from Honduras, little or no relationship to Product Regulation will be reluctant to make bragging that BAT’s ciga- human exposure . (cont p2) 1pm, Room 2, CICG Speakers: T H A T C L O C K I S S T I L L TI CK ING . . . Yesterday statistics took on a human face again —25,726,183 is the WHO TobReg Committee obscene number of people who have died unnecessarily from tobacco Dave Hammond, FCA related diseases since work on the FCTC first began in October 1999. Speaking about the personal loss of his father from a tobacco-related illness, Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of the World Health Or- ganization unveiled the tobacco death clock in the CICG hallway. "This group has already changed history," Dr Lee said. "The Conven- tion is something that we are all committed to. Its provisions are bold. They are based on knowledge of what is effective. We will make it work." NGO advocates also urged delegates to remember the tremendous potential of their work: “Vous avez ce pouvoir entre vos mains aujourd’hui et nous comptons sur vous pour établir des méca- nismes les plus performants pour sa mise en œuvre. Ceux-ci seront essentiels pour aider a une meil- leure qualité de vie sans tabac dans mon pays, dans la region africaine et le plus rapidement possi- ble.” (Véronique Le Clezio, Mauritius) “You now have a treaty in your hands and you can decide to make its implementation meaningful. I urge you to devise the best possible mechanisms that will help reverse the tobacco death toll in my part of the world in the shortest time possible.” (Adeola Akinremi, Nigeria) “Ahora, seňores delegados, el Tratado esta en sus manos — les invito a ustedes a crear el mejor me- www.fctc.org canismo posible para la implementación, que permita a la brevidad reducir la carga de muerte y enfer- medad en todas las regiones del mundo.” (Dr Eduardo Bianco, Uruguay) Page 2

R EGULATION ( CONTINUED ) A BMJ article published last week showed how tunity to put tobacco regulation under the con- tobacco companies meet maximal values set trol of public health bodies, completely inde- by the EC for tar, nicotine and carbon monox- pendent of the . However, this ide mainly by making more ventilation holes is a complex area and the public health com- around the filter. Whilst these holes munity is not yet agreed on what would consti- reduce machine measurements, they have no tute effective regulatory guidelines, nor is there measurable effect on smokers’ exposure as the regulatory capacity to implement such smokers can easily block the holes with their guidelines in most countries. fingers or lips. The article proved that informa- tion on cigarette packs on nicotine, carbon di- For these reasons it is too soon to adopt guide- oxide and tar yields is misleading, as it does lines at this COP, but given the importance of not reflect the amount of smoke taken in by this area the COP needs to establish a working consumers. ASH UK and other NGOs in Europe group to develop such guidelines, building on are calling on the EU Commission to act with- the work of WHO TobReg and involving only out delay and remove the printed yields from independent public health practitioners. We believe this working group should explore the all tobacco products. feasibility of an international data manage- “The tobacco companies are up to their old ment repository to house and analyse the data tricks,” said FCA Chair Mary Assunta. arising from implementation of any future Arti- “Governments should not rely on ISO numbers cle 9 and Article 10 guidelines. This would help on tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide emis- minimise the additional capacity required by sions as an indicator of the level of hazard Parties and reduce unnecessary duplication of from a particular brand of . The ciga- limited resources. Tobacco company quote of rette makers should not be allowed, directly or indirectly, to use lower tar/nicotine numbers as These are key recommendations of the FCA the day: a sales argument because this misleads con- briefing paper on product regulation published sumers into thinking their products are less today. This is available today at WHO’s briefing on product regulation, from the FCA stand or “One of the key CORA and general hazardous and will make them less likely to on the FCA website. Come to the seminar to quit.” business priorities for this and the hear presentations from global experts from next few years is opposing the The elaboration of guidelines under Article 9 of the WHO TobReg committee and recommenda- WHO-Tobacco Free Initiative” the FCTC (Regulation of contents of tobacco tions from the FCA’s Dave Hammond on how to products) is on the agenda for the first COP progress this important work. meeting. The FCTC gives us the first real oppor- BAT internal email, 2000 Deborah Arnott, ASH UK

L A RÈGLEMENTATION D E L A COMPOSITION D E S PRODUITS D U T A BAC

Un document confidentiel de tés de tabac sous forme de l'étudier de plus près et la compagnie de tabac R.J valeurs numériques qui in- en consultant seulement Reynolds, daté de 1972, dé- duisent en erreur et ne doi- les professionnels de san- clare cyniquement: "Dans un vent pas être utilisés—OMS té indépendants. sens, l'industrie du tabac Comité de Conseil Scientifi- • La méthode ISO est peut être considérée comme que sur la régulation des pro- essentiellement supervi- une section spécialisée et duits du tabac. sée par l'industrie du ta- hautement ritualisée d'une bac et ne représente industrie pharmaceutique. Recommandations: donc pas le forum appro- Les produits du tabac • Il est encore trop tôt prié pour établir les stan- contiennent et dispensent de pour adopter les directi- dards de régulation du la nicotine, une puissante ves de la COP ā ce su- tabac. drogue qui procure des ef- jet. fets physiologiques va- • Les rendements de riés" (http:// • La CDP ne doit adop- nicotine et de goudrons tobaccodocuments.org/ ter aucun protocole spé- ne doivent PAS figurer sur cifique pour tester les landman/501877121- les paquets de cigarettes. émissions de la fumée 7129.html). de tabac ā ce sujet. Les taux de goudrons, de (texte: Factsheet 4 de l’Alliance • Etant donné l'impor- nicotine et de CO sont basés pour la Convention Cadre) tance de cette question, sur une méthode ISO/FTC et la CDP doit établir un figurent sur les paquets de groupe de travail pour cigarette et dans les publici- Page 3

B R IN GI N G T H E T R E AT Y T O L I F E

goal of saving millions from this treaty seriously.” tobacco-related death and To assist countries in inter- disease. preting their obligations un- Also to be decided is der the FCTC, the FCA has whether non-governmental released a guide entitled “ A organizations — which have Guide to Domestic Imple- played a critical role in the mentation of the Framework negotiations and promotion Convention on Tobacco Con- of the treaty — will be al- trol .” lowed to participate as active partners in treaty follow-up The publication provides countries with an overview of work. their obligations under the “The outcomes of this meet- FCTC. The guide is online at: ing will be extremely impor- http://fctc.org/iwg_cops/ This first meeting of the Con- tant for the future of the COP1/domesticguide.pdf , ference of Parties will deter- treaty,” said Mary Assunta, and is also on the free CD mine whether countries that FCA Chair. “Weak interpreta- ROM included in FCA briefing have ratified the treaty are tion and poor implementa- packs — collect one at the willing to adequately fund tion of the FCTC will not pro- FCA booth, downstairs in efforts to implement the mote public health or save CICG. treaty . It will also determine lives. In order for the treaty what sort of structures will to be more than just a piece be put into place to ensure of paper, countries need to that the treaty can fulfill its take their obligations under

A N I NTERVENTION T H A T S AY S I T A L L ( E XC E PT T H A T I T D I D N ’ T G E T S A I D )

Following is the intervention FCA wanted to make yesterday, under current rules of procedure — sadly, our request to speak was not granted. Maybe tomorrow…..

Mr Chair, Country Delegates & Colleagues,

This message is on behalf of the Framework Convention Alliance, a group of over 200 to- bacco control NGOs from across the globe, whose vision is a world free of death and dis- ease caused by tobacco.

We are proud to be here with you on this first day of the first Conference of the Par- ties of the WHO FCTC. We congratulate the 121 eligible parties that are already imple- menting evidence based life saving policies and let us not forget those that are in the process of becoming Parties to this important public health treaty.

We thank you as well for the recognition you have given to the role played by civil soci- ety during the course of the negotiations as reflected in the preamble of the FCTC which emphasizes “… the special contribution of nongovernmental organizations and other members of civil society not affiliated with the tobacco industry…in national and interna- tional tobacco control efforts”.

We are here to join forces with you to see the development of a COP that will allow for effective implementation of the Convention at the national level. However, in order for us to do this, we need to be present at meetings and be able to contribute in a timely and meaningful way to the work of the parties.

This will not happen without your support. As you consider the final drafting of rules of procedure we urge you to take into consideration Article 4.7 of the Convention which states that: “The participation of civil society is essential in achieving the objective of the Convention and its protocols.”

We look forward to what we feel sure will be a positive and productive COP .

Thank you Framework Convention Alliance Page 4

FO CUS O N FCTC: TH E PREAMBLE

“The Parties to this Conven- Although a preamble may participation it should remem- tion, have limited legal force, it is ber the spirit expressed in the not just a set of introductory preamble and echoed later in …Emphasizing the special remarks. Consider the pream- Guiding principle 4.7 — contribution of nongovern- ble as more than a welcome “participation of civil society mental organizations and mat of the Convention. It is is essential in achieving the This is the first in a regu- other members of civil soci- part and parcel of the treaty, objective of the Convention lar series of columns ety not affiliated with the to- and not a quick spot to wipe that will look closely at bacco industry, including and its protocols.” the Treaty text. Today our boots before we rush into health professional bodies, Equally important is the pre- we focus on the Pream- the Articles. women's, youth, environ- amble’s guidance on criteria blebleble—ble ———thethe bit at the front mental and consumer that everyone tends to The preamble reflects the col- for participation of observers groups, and academic and lective aspirations of the Par- also echoed later in the text skip! health care institutions, to ties. It explains the treaty (Article 5.3) — there is no tobacco control efforts na- background and provides the room for the tobacco industry tionally and internationally framework for its interpreta- in public health policy mak- and the vital importance of tion. It is in essence the spirit ing. their participation in national of the Convention, which Jackie Tumwine, Framework and international tobacco should guide all the delibera- control efforts….” tions of the Conference of the Convention Alliance And on goes the preamble of Parties. the FCTC. As the COP discusses NGO

F O C U S O N F C A M EMBERS —T H E U N I O N ( I UAT L D )

Founded in 1920 as a fed- health services that are In collaboration with the eration of national lung as- based on the successful TB Department of Public sociations, the Interna- control model. Health and Epidemiology at FCA Members—who tional Union Against Tu- the University of Fez, in berculosis and Lung Dis- Currently, the tobacco con- Morocco, a randomized are they, and what can ease (The Union) is today a trol and prevention activi- clinical trial is being run to member-based interna- ties of the Union focus on examine the association they do to help tional scientific organisation the relationship between between tobacco use/ representing more than 160 active and passive expo- cessation and tuberculosis governments implement countries. The Union pro- sure to tobacco smoke and treatment outcomes. motes lung health in low- tuberculosis infection, dis- the FCTC? and middle-income coun- ease, treatment outcomes The Union is a major foun- tries through technical as- and mortality. der of INGCAT, the Inter- sistance, education and national Non Governmental In collaboration with the Coalition Against Tobacco research. EPILAB in Sudan, opera- The Union’s most widely tional research has demon- Visit The Union online at: known achievement is the strated the feasibility of in- www.iuatld.org troducing brief tobacco ces- development of the DOTS strategy for treating and sation interventions into the controlling tuberculosis. tuberculosis treatment in- The Union has also devel- frastructure, and new re- oped model programmes search will look at the sus- for asthma, pneumonia in tainability of such a pro- children under 5 years of gramme. age and tobacco control in Page 5

F O U R A ' S F O R A N E FFECTIVE S ECRETARIAT

Countless trees have been sacrificed in various attempts to describe an effective Permanent Secretariat. At risk of oversimplification, these documents can be boiled down to four basic concepts: AccountabilityAccountability. The Secretariat must be accountable to the COP and protected from control by non-parties. All work funded by the COP under Article 24 should be overseen by the COP. Actively involved in FCTC implementation. Creating an effective Secretariat does not diminish the crucial and ongoing role that TFI must play in FCTC technical support. The Secretariat must play an active role in planning and evaluation of TFI's programme and policy-related work if the specific needs of the Parties are to be met. It is also more appropriate for the Secretariat to “The Secretariat must undertake some substantive tasks, such as advising Parties on issues related to FCTC compli- ance and treaty law. This will require the Secretariat to retain a small team of tobacco control play an active role in experts. Adequately fundedfunded. The budget and workplan prepared by the interim secretariat contemplates planning and very limited functions for the Secretariat. FCA estimates that approximately US $5 million per year would provide adequate funding, based on an analysis of analogous secretariats and ex- evaluation of TFI’s pected costs. work” AdaptabilityAdaptability. WHO and TFI are always subject to political pressure by non-parties and to rapidly changing financial priorities, as the current avian flu crisis demonstrates. Recognizing this, FCTC Article 24(g) wisely provides for adaptability in the secretariat's role. It would be short- sighted for the COP to adopt any rules that would restrict the secretariat's role or diminish the adaptability provided by Article 24 in any way. For more detailed discussion of secretariat and budget-related issues, please see FCA Briefing Paper 4. You also are invited to attend the Wednesday FCA lunchtime briefing on key issues for the COP. John Bloom and Fiona Godfrey, Framework Convention Alliance

M ENS AJ E ONG A C O S T A R I C A : RATIFICAR C U A N T O A N T E S E L C ONVENIO M A R C O D E C ONTR OL D E T A B A C O

El consumo de tabaco constituye el mayor Las medidas que deben cumplirse a ca- riesgo que afronta actualmente la salud balidad son estas: pública mundial. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) estima que un tercio de • Aumentar el precio de los cigarrillos la población mundial de 15 y más años • Promover la cultura antitabaco en el fuma regularmente. Este alto porcentaje hogar, las escuelas, los colegios y las de población fumadora convierte el con- universidades sumo de tabaco en la mayor pandemia actual y futura, en el enemigo número • Prohibir firmemente la publicidad, la uno para la salud y la vida de la humani- promoción del tabaco y el patrocinio dad en el ámbito mundial. de eventos deportivos, culturales y sociales por parte de la industria taba- No obstante que Costa Rica firmó el Con- calera venio Marco de Control de Tabaco en ju- nio del 2003, no lo ha ratificado aún, lo • Llenar el 50% de una de las caras de que sí han hecho ya 121 países, entre las cajetillas de cigarrillos con datos ellos Canadá, Chile, Honduras, Jamaica, del daño a la salud. México , Panamá, Trinidad y Tobago, Perú Consecuentemente, es imprescindible e y Uruguay. impostergable la ratificación del Conve- El Convenio Marco de Control de Tabaco nio Marco de Control de Tabaco por parte tiene como objetivo proteger a las genera- de los diputados de la Asamblea Legisla- ciones presentes y futuras contra las de- tiva. En ellos descansa, en buena medida vastadoras consecuencias sanitarias, so- el presente y futuro de la salud de nues- ciales, ambientales y económicas del con- tra querida patria, siempre que aprueben sumo de tabaco, proporcionando para "el hito en la historia de la salud pública". ello un conjunto de medidas que se debe- Carlos Díaz Amador rán aplicar a fin de reducir de manera Presidente de Fundación Pro Derechos continua y sustancial la prevalencia del de los No Fumadores consumo de tabaco y la exposición al humo del tabaco. Page 6

O RC H I D R U M O U R H A S I T …. Is it true that Ken Bernard, who in his role as head of the American delegation during

the later INB’s vigorously represented the interests of Philip Morris, now has an office near the WHO Director General? Does his new role really include being the secretary of a committee that reviews all pro- posed WHO policy statements? The word around the water cooler is that his committee has already vetoed apparently innocuous proposed fact sheets from other WHO bureaus To South Africa and on the ground that they go beyond “established” WHO policy, presumably meaning the other Parties “goes beyond the U.S. interpretation of WHO policy”. from the AFRO Re- gion, for supporting If this is true, how will this affect WHO’s ability to provide technical assistance to the a strong Secretariat FCTC in the future? that will be account- able to the Confer- ence of the Parties.

A nice sign from Lonely at COP? Lost in sessions? Lusting for information? China: No longer! “Civilised street—no smoking” The Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) Cordially invites you, dear COP participant to come and visit us at CICG’s plush basement.

You will find us, the Civil Society Representatives there, waiting to get to know you, share information, provide you with facts and figures, documentation and expertise and a lend a helping hand with your tobacco control questions. But, it’s not all work!!! There’s free stuff!! We have pins and stickers

to give away, free water from the coolers to share and comfortable relaxing sofas to sit on. It’s an all day fun-fest!

To those countries We are there from early in the morning providing you with the with tobacco industry day’s hottest news in the daily FCA bulletin, till late in the evening. representatives on their delegations. You So if you want to take a break from lofty thoughts, mingle with a know who you are…. new crowd or just stretch your legs, try getting downwardly mobile And so do we! with us on “Level -1” and boost your circulation. (BYO lunch!)