Tobacco Documents Online

L'pc/awr : 3 ~~ . r , "n =. K K IOCU Statement at World Hea1th Assembly, Ma,y 1986 on agenda item "Smoking or Health" The International Organization of Consumers Unions congratulates the World Health Organization on the thorough, clear and outspoken report in front of your Cornmittee. ICCU and i ts member organizations are on a broad range of subjects following the market with a view to counter hazardous products. We find them in many fields Mr. Chairvan, be it in pesticides, in toys, in foods or in what your Committee -will be discussing tomorrow, drugs. Yet we have only come across one single product which is hazardous when used as that one product is intended : tobacco. If tobacco was a newly invented product - with the wealth of information now known about its hazards to health - no sensible government in the world would allow it to be sold. IOCU welcomes the goal that theWHO report sets up in stating "nothing less than the removal of this man made hazard would be compatible with WHO's goal of health for all by the year 2000". For that goal to become reality, broad based national programmes are necessary. From IOCU's viewpoint we will nevertheless at this stage specifically target one element of such a programme: the need to deal with- and end- the marketing activities of the industry. We believe that one of the strongest forces in influencing new groups, new generations, new countries, to smoke, is the marketing of tobacco, whether by advertising, sponsorships or other promotional activities. Smoking is here presented as acceptable, as a norrnal, good and even a glamorous thing to do. Tobacco advertising continously reinforces the message that smoking is desirable. It undermines the credibility of government statements and policies that smoking is bad for health. We do not believe that the only effect and goal of tobacco advertising is, as often is claimed, to redistribute market shares, in other words: influence brand choice, leaving total tobacco consumption unchanged. In a survey we conducted in 1984, we indeed found promotional activities performed by national tobacco monopolies in eleven countries. Being monopolies these firms would of course be throwing money away if they only meant to influence brand choice. However, Mr. CYairman, banning all forms of promotion of tobacco must onlybe one of the measures taken to reduce tobacco consumption. We urge WHO to act with speed on the resolution once adopted by &apporting and encouraging member states; providing guidance in the development of national anti-smoking programmes, acting as a centre for information on anti-tobacco activities and assuming an effective global advocacy role. Given the clear and convincing language in the resolution and the report, the most important element is nevertheless this: that the WHO and member governments when prepe.ring the next budget, make provision which will allow WHO to take to task what we all know;to be the major avoidable cause of ill health and premature deaths. Mr. Chairman, together with other involved NGOs namely the International Union against Tuberculosis, the International Union against Cancer, the International Society and Federation of Cardiology and the knerican Cancer Society, we urge 4d0 to as,t on the three following points: - that a specialist secrets.riat, a task force be set up to promote and help in the implementation world-wide of smoking control activities; - that a steering committee be established under the Executive Board to establish annual targets for the WHO smoking control activities and to review the programme; - and that 'rIHO takes a fi rm lead anong other interested international bodies such as FAO, UNIDO and the World Bank to promote alternatives to tobacco as a crop and as an industry. N cn 0 ~ 0 ~ N co Isrs Broch, Director