Tobacco Documents Online

ts'xtrilca of u]ett'er received from B. A. T' Cig,,iretten-Fabr•ihc:in GnIt;I-I datcc) 7th*\Tovemb:;r, 1 (,,7'7. We.ha:ve information that the EC Comm~ission has proposed to hold a Council Mieeting of Health Ministers. This may tal:e place between the 1i2th and 17th Decenher, The Presidency is proposing, four subjects for discussion: 1. Exchange of views on the economic aspects of health, and especially on the.resuits of studies which the Commission is undertaking at this mom ent. 2. Policies concerning health education especially with regard to tobacco consumption, drugs and food, 3. Control of certain diseases especially problems concerning vaccination, 4. Nlutual assistance in case of catastrophEs and of particularly dangerous diseases. ' anly the German Delegation has not yet approved of the idea of the meeting, arguing that the proposed discussion would' be premature. ° With- regard~ to item 2 the Commission has outlined the need for special! health education based on general scientific findings and ernphasizing that everyone has a.-,increasing responsibility for. his own health as well as the health of others. Stress should be laid especially on the prevention and suppression of certain injurious health habits, namely smoking, insufficient food hygiene, alcohol consumption, drug,s, abuse of rnedicall remedies. The Commission, intends to submit a puper showing which actions could be taken with regard to smoking, food and drugs. The Working, Group l'evel' thinks that the Ministers should not only exchange views but draw up si'zablie conclusions and assign special ilask5 to expert groups at Comniission le;>el. We fear this may have the consequence that in the future "Smoking and Health" will become a subject of European policy not only under the aspect of consumer protection but in all of its dimensions. The already most al:arn:ing approach which 111tr. de Ga.ve's Working Party on Tobacco has taken on behalf of the Consumers Consultative Committee may very well serve as a stepPing-stone on the way towards wider horizons of anti- sm oking, action. cont'd. . .

- 2' - The Working Party on Tobacco! s- paper is att'ached.. What appears most startlinb, about all this is the impact with which the EEC action in this field seems to be gaining speed during the last few months. We shall have to fiild out v:hich instituti:ons inithe individual countries could be approached in ord'er to block this supra-nationaI activity at birth and return to the national handling of the problem. enc: k