Philip Morris
the World Health Organization (Who): Its Work Related to the Activities of the International Tobacco Industry
Fields
- Attachment
- 2501442828/2501442897
- 2501442830/2501442897
- Type
- REPT, REPORT, OTHER
- Area
- BRUSSELS S&H/EU ARCHIVE
- Litigation
- Stmn/Produced
- Site
- E96
- Master ID
- 2501442800/3320
Related Documents:- 2501442800-2806 Report of the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on the Health Consequences of Using Smokeless Tobacco
- 2501442807-2808 the Thirty-Ninth World Health Assembly Geneva, 860505 - 860516
- 2501442809-2811 Seventy-Seventh Session Agenda Item 15 Tobacco or Health
- 2501442812-2817 Economic Data for Tobacco in Selected Countries
- 2501442818-2827 Comments on the Proposed Who Resolution Eb77/22 Add. 2 Dated 860111
- 2501442828-2829 Report on World Health Organization's Work Related to the Tobacco Industry
- 2501442898-2901 Zimbabwe and the World Health Assembly
- 2501442902-2905 Critique of Who Report Eb77/22 Add 1 Entitled 'the Adverse Health Effects of Tobacco Use'
- 2501442906-2907 Action Alert 860000 World Health Assembly
- 2501442908-2912 860000 World Health Assembly 860505 - 860516 Background / General Principles
- 2501442913 Healthy Buildings 880000
- 2501442914-2916
- 2501442917-2925 Healthy Buildings 88
- 2501442926-2927 Cib Healthy Buildings 880000
- 2501442928-2930 A Guide to Future Healthy Buildings
- 2501442931-2940 Why Does Air Make People Sick?
- 2501442941
- 2501442942-2944 Energy Conservation Programs Have Made Matters Worse
- 2501442945-2947 More Fresh Air Makes for Healthier Buildings
- 2501442948-2952 Clear Indoor Air: A Trade Union Perspective
- 2501442953-2954
- 2501442955-2957
- 2501442958-2959
- 2501442960-2961
- 2501442962-2963
- 2501442965-3067 Cigarette Smoking and Cancer: A Scientific Perspective
- 2501443068-3119 Cigarette Smoking and Heart Disease
- 2501443120-3256 Smoking and Health 640000 - 790000 the Continuing Controversy
- 2501443257-3286 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd)
- 2501443288-3301 Cigarette Smoking and Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases: the Major Gaps in Knowledge
- 2501443302
- 2501443303-3320 Tobacco Issues Claims Vs. Facts
- Named Organization
- 1st World Conference on Smoking + Health
- 23rd Health Assembly
- 24th World Health Assembly
- 2nd World Conference on Smoking + Health
- 33rd World Health Assembly
- 3rd World Conference on Smoking + Health
- 4th World Conference on Smoking + Health
- American Cancer Society
- Anti Smoking Programs in the Developed C
- Anti Smoking Programs in the Ldcs
- Board of Directors
- Centre on Smoking + Health
- Directing Council
- Executive Board
- Expenditure Comm
- Expert Comm on Smoking Control
- Fao, Food and Agriculture Org
- Forum on Anti Smoking
- Health Education Council
- Hew Publi
- Hew, Dept of Health Education and Welfare
- House of Commons
- Imperial College
- Interagency Council on Smoking + Health
- Intl Tobacco Industry
- Intl Union Against Cancer
- Ldc
- Mnc
- Natl Clearinghouse for Smoking + Health
- Natl Commission on Smoking + Public Poli
- Natl Industries
- Natl Smoking + Health Assn
- Pan American Health Org
- Pitman Publishing
- Pmi, Philip Morris International
- Regional Comm for Europe
- Regional Comm for the Americas
- Swedish Cancer Society
- Swedish Health Ministry
- Swedish Natl Heart + Lung Assn
- Tobacco Tncs
- Un Conference on Trade + Development
- Un, United Nations
- United Nations Development Program
- United Nations Industrial Development or
- War on Want
- Who, World Health Org
- World Bank
- World Health
- World Health Assembly
- World Health Org Chronicle
- Intl Labor Org
- 23rd Health Assembly
- Request
- Stmn/R1-004
- Stmn/R1-133
- Named Person
- Demoerloose, J.
- Haywardcosta, A.
- Horn, D.
- Mahler, H.
- Mueller, M.
- Richardson, R.G.
- Haywardcosta, A.
- Date Loaded
- 05 Jun 1998
- UCSF Legacy ID
- ztj49e00
Document Images
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D. WHO ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY
For the most part, WHO work has concentrated
on the health effects of smoking and how to,combat
the smoking habit. However, the activities of the
transnational corporations have been touched on
regularly.
In each section of this report an attempt is
made to present the views, conclusions and recommenda-
tions of the involved participants, whether they be
officials, diplomats or members of the Expert Com-
mittee. These sections should be read very carefully.
In addition to gauging the effectiveness of WHO
work to reduce tobacco consumption and its,ultimate
impact on the growth of the tobacco industry, tobacco
companies should also pay attention to some of the
following broader conclusions about tobacco usage
which appear with regularity in work done for WHO:
1. No efforts should be made to either help begin
or provide additional support for tobacco growing
and manuf acturing industries, particularly in
the developing countries.
2. Efforts should be made to develop and promote
cultivation of foodstuffs and other agricultural
products as economically feasible alternatives
to tobacco production.
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3. The World Health Organization should step up
its efforts to coordinate anti-smoking policies
in other international organizations,•such as
the International Labor Organization, the Food
and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations
Development Program and the United Nations Indus-
trial Development Organization.
4. There is acute awareness of the power of the
transnational tobacco companies in affecting
price, market shares, and growth in the industry.
There is also growing criticism of their practices.
Alleged activities by the transnational corpora-
tions most often mentioned as harmful include
seductive advertising techniques, lack of proper
labelling to inform smokers of the health hazards
of smoking and the diversion of cigarettes high
in tar and nicotine to the LDCs when they are no
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longer legal for sale in their country of origin. o
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5. The developing countries, where consumption of ~
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tobacco has been increasing, will face serious ~
health problems within the next ten years unless
anti-smoking programs are developed and are effect-
ive. And, the increase in smoking-related diseases
will strain the resources of public health services
and insurance programs tremendously.
xzz
6. There is growing interest in use of national
legislation and regulation as part of anti-
smoking programs. Measures taken could include
increases in taxes on cigarette sales, increased
labelling requirements on tobacco packages, stif-
fer requirements for permitted levels of emissions
of toxic substances, and curbs on advertising
of tobacco products.
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II. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND ITS WORK RELATED TO THE
INTERNATIONAL TOBACCO INDUSTRY
A. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
The World Health Organization is a specialized
agency of the United Nations. It was established in
1948 to promote international cooperation and
consultation among the medical professions and public
health authorities of more than 150 countries and
to discuss health problems.
WHO is concerned primarily with problems that
individual countries or territories cannot solve with
their own resources -- problems such as the eradication
and control of malaria, schistosomiasis, smallpox
and other communicable diseases, as well as some cardio-
vascular diseases. WHO also helps to prepare inter-
national standards and regulations, and advises govern-
ments in setting up primary health care and public health
programs. Since 1958, WHO has also promoted an extensive
international program of collaborative research and
research coordination.
The main policy making bodies are WHO's Executive
Board and World Health Assembly, both of which meet
annually, in January and May, respectively. Programs
are developed and implemented through working groups,
committees, and WHO's staff around the world. Expert
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committees are often convened to give advice on
technical and scientific matters.
The Director-General of WHO is Halfdan Mahler,
a Danish citizen.
B. WHO WORK RELATED TO THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY
1. An Overview
a. General Policy - WHO has an explicit
policy favoring the prevention and
elimination of smoking. This has been
repeatedly stated in various Executive
Board and World Health Assembly resolutions
(See Chapter III).
The broad aim of the policy is to
cause a reduction in tobacco consumption
significant enough to force tobacco growers,
in all countries and of all sizes, to
diversify away from tobacco.
WHO's concern is exclusively with the
health aspects of tobacco usage. It so far
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has been extremely careful about treading o
~
on the toes of the tobacco industry on any ~
ground other than those related to the
adverse health effects of tobacco usage.
b. Hostility to Tobacco Companies - Because of
WHO's policy against smoking, its actions
-3-
can be considered generally hostile to
all tobacco companies.
c. Small Scale of WHO Work on Smoking -
Prevention and elimination of tobacco usage
is a tiny part of WHO's total program of work.
No budget has been specifically allocated
for it, although the policy making bodies
have clearly and repeatedly declared that
there is need for vigorous anti-smoking
measures at all levels of political organiza-
tion.
In fact, not even one WHO employee is involved
full-time in the anti-smoking aspect of WHO's
work. And, the "Sixth General Programme of
Work (1978-1983)" does not explicitly mention
WHO's anti-smoking role (see Appendix C-7).
WHO's involvement in anti-smoking early
in the 1970's was slow and somewhat reluctant.
But since 1974, and particularly 1976, it has
gained momentum under pressure mainly from
nongovernmental organizations such as the
American Cancer Society.
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2. Past WHO Activities o
~
-IN
WHO's role in anti-smoking began with a N
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brief resolution passed by the Executive Board ~
-4-
in January 1970, based on results of 1969
sessions of the Directing Council of the Pan
American Health Organization, Regional Committee
for the Americas and the Regional Committee for
Europe. The resolution asked WHO's Director
General to produce a report on the "hazards
of smoking." It was argued that WHO, being
preoccupied with health,could not remain neutral
concerning the health effects of smoking.
Since that time WHO work on tobacco usage
has taken five major forms:
-- Resolutions of the WHO Executive Board
and the World Health Assembly. These
are summarized in Chapter III of this
Report.
-- Reports requested by one of WHO's governing
bodies. These are summarized in Chapter
IV of this Report. N
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The Expert Committee on Smoking Control, ~
~
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a group of private individuals, met ~
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in 1974 and 1978 to discuss and report to
WHO on its findings on the health effects
of smoking and recommendations for measures
to control smoking. The Committee's work
is summarized in Chapter IV of this Report.
-5-
-- Advice to Governments on anti-smoking
educational programs and legislation.
-- Limited collaboration with other inter-
national organizations.
The latter two activities are ongoing and
discussed in greater detail below.
WHO work has included two main themes, taken
either separately or (often) together:
(1) collection and dissemination of information
on the health hazards of smoking, and (2) compila-
tion of information on legislation worldwide to
combat smoking.
3. Activities in 1978
a. The Executive Board - The Board discussed
anti-smoking measures at its January 1978
meeting, but took no action in the form of
a resolution.
b. World Health Assembly - At its May 1978
meeting the World Health Assembly adopted
a significant resolution, viewed as setting
the groundwork for WHO anti-smoking activity
up until the early 1980s (see Chapter III).
c. Expert Committee on Smoking Control - The
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Committee had its second meeting October o
~
23-28, with a focus on smoking control. 4
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The Committee's report, which should be
available in January 1979, is expected to
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become the key document guiding thinking
at the WHO Secretariat for the next four
years (see Chapter V).
4. Status of on-going WHO activities
a. Advice to Governments - WHO does give advice
to governments, on request, on how to develop
and implement anti-smoking measures. Not
many requests are received, however. Some
recent inquiries for information mainly on
tar and nicotine contents came from Nepal,
Singapore and Sri Lanka. To date, there
has been no request for extensive help to
draw up a comprehensive anti-smoking program
or broad legislation. Some requests have
been made for information on legislation in
other countries, particularly the industrialized
nations.
b. Standardization of Definitions - WHO has not
undertaken any work on standardization of ~
0
definitions and statistics related to tobacco -P,
~
~
usage, although this was requested by a 1976 4:-
00
World Health Assembly resolution (see Chapter
t III). Work in this field could be undertaken
-7-
as soon as funds are made available to
hire consultants. In the meantiMe, WHO
stands willing to support and cooperate
with research in this field by outside
groups. No such specific research has
been done with WHO's sponsorship.
c. Tabulation of Anti-Smoking Legislation -
An updated compilation of existing anti-
smoking legislation in WHO member countries
is now being prepared. So far such legisla-
tion has been enacted in some forty states
and concerns mainly curbs on advertising,
on cigarette sales to minors, and on smoking
in public places. The update will be
presented to the Executive Board in January
1979.
d. Contact with other International Organizations
Various Executive Board and World Health
Assembly resolutions have repeatedly asked
the WHO to coordinate and promote cooperation
with other agencies in the UN system in the
fight against tobacco smoking. But very r.I)
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little has been done primarily because the .~
other agencies have little or no concern .Q
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with the health problems. The main agencies
