The World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has reiterated that tobacco, in all of its forms for use, is still a hazard to human life and well-being.
According to the WHO FCTC, tobacco kills eight million people per year, either directly or indirectly.
Sabina Timco, WHO FCTC Secretary, stated this during a news conference hosted by the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals in advance of the Global Tobacco Treaty Intergovernmental Negotiations, which will take place in late November in Panama.
During a briefing ahead of the 10th annual conference, the WHO asked for the business to be regulated in order to preserve lives.
Timco said:
“Tobacco has been and continues to be a major threat to health, life, the well-being not only of humans but also the planet, so tobacco is really a heavy burden on human life and the environment.
“Each year we lose eight million lives to the use and exposure to tobacco; seven million lives are lost to the use of tobacco products and 1.3 million lives are lost to exposure to tobacco smoke, so we have to keep that in mind when we look at the control measures and the treaties that are there to promote.”
She also revealed that the biggest challenge the WHO FCTC confronts is counter-efforts to thwart regulatory initiatives.
She stated that the meeting’s goal was to safeguard current and future generations from the terrible health, social, environmental, and economic repercussions of tobacco smoking and tobacco smoke exposure.
“The interference by the tobacco group and individuals that further the tobacco interest has been reported by the parties as the single most important barriers in implementing the treaties, so it is really something we have to keep in mind so we can counter the effort by the tobacco industry,” she added.
cc: Punch Ng
