Do not let 'fox guard chickens'
Not surprising that tobacco industry is conniving to block, delay, dilute or water down implementation of this global tobacco treaty. In 2014, then WHO Director General Dr Margaret Chan had said to CNS around the intergovernmental meeting of the WHO FCTC: "I have never shied away from embracing WHO's position as tobacco industry's number one enemy. As implementation of the WHO FCTC reaches new heights, the tobacco industry fights back harder and through every possible channel, no matter how devious those channels and practices are." Dr Chan had rightly told the governments in this meeting to 'not let fox guard chickens', pointing to tobacco industry interference in global tobacco treaty negotiations.
In November 2015, BBC exposed cases of British American Tobacco (BAT) employees bribing officials in East African countries, including Rwanda and Burundi, in an effort to undermine anti-tobacco laws.
Dr Bam shared that tobacco industry often works covertly, hiding behind their front groups like business groups, scientific organizations, etc. Ironically, Philip Morris, world's biggest tobacco industry, has funded Foundation for a 'Smoke-Free' World. They have joined hands with American Chamber of Commerce, which is now trying to manipulate the science and block any policy decisions on tobacco control, especially in Asia Pacific countries. They are putting their products in the market to attract children. Tobacco pushes more than 200 million people in poverty.
Despite industry's tactics to grow profits, tobacco control is working!
Dr Tara Singh Bam called upon for urgent and stringent implementation of the global tobacco treaty and other evidence-based public health laws and policies without any further delay. "It is time to implement, enforce and monitor closely. It is also time for all governments, civil society organizations and other professional bodies to unitedly counter tobacco industry's false arguments and ban all organizations thriving on tobacco products. This is the only way to save 7 million lives every year. Now is the time to strike the final blow for elimination of tobacco. Bloomberg Philanthropies is played a major game changing role in this process."
Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, WHO Director General's Awardee for tobacco control and former President of Association of Surgeons of India and former Vice President of SAARC Surgeons body, had founded Indian Society Against Smoking and has been leading tobacco control activities since 1976. He shared in CNS Webinar that "India, where tobacco use is at alarming levels and tobacco-related disease-burden too is among the highest in the world, has been successful in implementing the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA 2003) in line with the global tobacco treaty. The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-2017 study proved that barring only 3 states of India (Assam, Tripura and Manipur), rest of entire country has shown a decline of 6% in tobacco use. Tobacco use in India declined from 34.6% to 28.6% between 2009-10 and 2016-17. Some states like Nagaland could successfully bring down the tobacco use from 31.5% to 13.2%. In Sikkim, tobacco use dipped from 41.6% to 17.9%."
India's noted cardiologist and heart disease researcher who had chaired the national experts' committee that developed country's first-ever national guidelines for management of heart attacks, Professor (Dr) Rishi Sethi, was also on the CNS webinar panel of experts. He is a senior intervention cardiologist at King George's Medical University (KGMU).
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