Tobacco Documents Online

I Y•SAJO!i NE'N W.H.0. REFOF.T OPi' "-SO=,G CO~i~M.~QL ASH, PP•.E'SS' GUMI1P',: sI'I' F03 STRONG' ACTION 27 -35 MorC i me r S1 rre 1 Ifriukii hVIN 7RJ T I eph a n e 01 '- 637 9 843' A new Expert CoYmittee Report on s:aoking,- "Controlling the Smoking Ebidemic!' - is published today (Friday 25th F'tay) by the W'orld Health Org~a+_isation. strongest recommendations on smoking;ever to come from W.R.O., including, Written by-a team of e•-perts from aroundi the world, the report nakes the the total ban on -a71 forms of tobacco promotion. behaviour and its massive advertising a.d, promotional cempaig.ns:are, in the The report states that "The internatior.all tobacco industry's irresponsible opinion of the Comit'tee, direct causes of a substantial number of unnecessa_ry At a press conference in London yesterday (Thursday 24;thl~':ay) to laur_ch the and' also emphasises the need for, urgent actYon iii developing countries: " deaths...". It stresses that resoonsibility for action lies with Government --report in Britai.n„ the Chairmsn,of ASH, Dr. Keith Ball, said "The medical to combat the smoking epidemic in Britain. As the report itself states, . profession will we3come this substantial report, which will aid its efforts where smoking is a commoxL pr3ctice, it is a major and certainly removable "'There can no longer be any doubt-a=or.g informed'pecpLe thatin~any country cause of ill health and premature death'." _'fhe_Chairman of the,Ebcpert Committee, former Britis'rl Gover=ent Chief 24edical Governments have already done." _ effecti7e3;1 an the lines of the recos-mendrtions of N.H.O., as some other is past. We have a right to expect Parlianent to respond forcefully and Goverament now. The time for half measures suchlas we have had hitherto Officer Sir George Godber, commented "We must call for real action from . Pazaw: Hh'f'f 7F,eD&&of'Gbewr - PAc'rwtPmfiarClPFdadrerCBE:11D FRCP Cliiimtm; Dr. JFPBn1JlD FRCP ibzOdnnmrRi,hmrlS~* fYr+m:SarDF.VDL06m:11SCS1B'.11RCP ffwr.Tieraufrr.tilrunlm}bnr,r~ 1k~e~r Lla;:il~e»n

n Xr. David Simpson, Director of ASH, told.the arese`conference °MFe shall press the Government to imp3iement swiftly such recomendations of the report as , the total ban on all tobacco promotion and increased tax on tobacco. Further- more, we shall poiat:out that a recurrent theme;of the Expert Com,mittee ~ report is that action on.simple issues.is not enough - an~overall strategy must be adopted, with tough measures talQen on every front."' Mr. Simpson said that h.is orgenisation had already approached the Secretary of State for Social Serviees„ asking for an urgent meeting; and the Chancellor of the F~ccliequer urg4;ng a substantia.ll increase in tobacco taxation. He sai'd ttiat the contents of the new report must be an essential' background for the Government in planning its response to the W.H6O: decision to dedicate Worl'd Health Day 1980 to.the problems of smoking and health. E'M'EA?G0: 0041 HOURS,' F:qID4Y 25'LH W.AY' 1979 , For further information please contact David Si.:.gson.on 01-637 984j~(D9'f) 01'-338111900, (E7E-11MIG) . C