Tobacco Documents Online

The Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly Geneva, 5-16 May, 1986 At this Assembly, a Resolution will be put to the vote entitled "Tobacco or Health" and documented as EB 77/22 Add. 2, dated January 11, 1986. A copy of the Resolution is enclosed as Appendix A. This Resolution, adopted by the WHO Executive Board in January 1986, is based on a Report by the Director-General of the WHO entitled "WHO Programme on Tobacco or Health" and documented as EB 77/22 Add. 1, dated November 15, 1985. The Report has been found to contain many contradictions and inconsistencies. Moreover its tone is uncharacteristally emotive, political and doctrinaire which is surprising from an organization heretofore devoted to health and objective science. It accepts pronouncements of professional anti-smoking organizations and individuals which are of a political nature and do not reflect the whole range of reputable scientific opinion. The Resolution seeks to isolate smoking and tobacco use as a major health issue and to commit the WHO to introducing a world-wide programme against smoking with the ultimate goal of eliminating tobacco from world society. The effect of the Resolution, which has largely been activated by individuals in developed countries, will be to place the burden of solving what they perceive to be a problem upon the developing countries whose own health priorities are of an entirely different nature. I N ~ i ~ A N ~ 0 V

2 I I 3 Furthermore, the Resolution does not take into account the potential impact on the millions of people, the majority of whom are small farmers, who rely on tobacco. Nor does it take into account the potential loss of substantial tax revenues to governments which have been used for social and economic purposes. Appendix B contains a list of countries for which data have been obtained showing the significant contribution of tobacco to their economies and employment. For some countries, it also shows the very small percentage of land under arable and permanent crops given over to tobacco cultivation. (Source: FAO Commodities and Trade Division, 1982) In Appendix C, a number of statements in the Resolution have been addressed which are not warranted by the scientific literature. Because of this, and also because the Resolution may become the blueprint for radical anti-tobacco activities in your country with far-reaching social and economic implications, you may agree that the Resolution in its present form should be rejected by your delegate to the World Health Assembly in May this year. If the Resolution cannot be shelved, certain suggestions for amendments have been made in Appendix C. With this information, it is hoped that you may take whatever action you deem irost appropriate vis-A-vis your own delegation to the Assembly. March II, 1986