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Volume 356, Number 9239 21 October 2000

Policy and people

Public hearings on tobacco hailed a success

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on the WHO's planned Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) held its first session on Oct 16-20, boosted by an outpouring of support for the treaty at unprecedented public hearings. Even tobacco companies--more than 150 organisations attended the Oct 12-13 Geneva hearings --stressed that they wanted to cooperate. But they opposed tough measures like advertising bans and tax increases.

Among the high points of these hearings were the frank admissions from tobacco executives. "Smoking causes disease such as lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and cardiovascular disease", conceded David Davies, vice president of corporate affairs at Philip Morris Europe. "We agree that smoking is addictive", said Davies. He dropped the usual caveats implying that, although difficult, adults should still be able to quit and hence smoke through free choice. That distinction may be important in future litigation.

Jeffrey Wigand, the former Brown & Williamson executive whose evidence was key in the 1998 Masachusetts settlement for US$206 billion between tobacco companies and plaintiffs, welcomed the change.

"This industry wants to be different now. Philip Morris clearly said yes, nicotine is addictive, which is very different to what they said 1, 2, or 3 weeks ago when they qualified it", said Wigand, who now runs the Smoke Free Kids group in the USA.

But most non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and WHO officials remained nervous that "Big Tobacco" would still seek to undermine the FCTC or, at best, water it down. The WHO says that a combination of increased excise taxes, bans on advertising and sponsorship, controls on smoking in public places, strong counter-advertising, and tight controls against smuggling would be the most effective measures to take.

An initial FCTC draft included provisions for all of these ideas. However, this was drawn up by health experts. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body includes other national government ministries, such as finance and agriculture. A UK NGO, Action on Smoking and Health, said the FCTC would have to be realistic in order to reduce the death toll, currently at 4 million per year and expected to increase to 10 million by 2030.

"A super-strong convention that remains unratified is no use to anyone", say the group. A coalition of US organisations, including the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, and American Medical Association, appealed to the Clinton administration to match its tough domestic policy with international leadership on the convention.

"More people worldwide are expected to die from tobacco-related illness over the next 30 years than from AIDS, automobile accidents, maternal mortality, homicide and suicide combined", said the coalition. US Surgeon General David Satcher said American priorities were to "significantly reduce" advertisements, especially those aimed at children, to protect against second-hand smoke and combat smuggling.

Clare Kapp