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| Monday, 16 June 2003 |
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The Swarna Hansa Foundation called on Government of Sri Lanka to sign and ratify a Tobacco Control treaty which was adopted by health ministers from around the globe on May 21 at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. A number of countries will meet in Geneva on June 16 (today) to sign the adopted treaty and the Swarna Hansa Foundation, urges the Government of Sri Lanka to follow their lead, states a Swarna Hansa Foundation press release. "The FCTC is the first-ever global health treaty," said Gallege Punywardana of the Swarna Hansa Foundation. "It is a major step forward in the worldwide battle against the death and disease caused by the tobacco epidemic. It provides the basic tools for countries to enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation and take on the powerful tobacco industry. We urge the government to sign and ratify the treaty immediately." According to the National Drug Control Board 75 people are dying per day of illnesses related to tobacco in Sri Lanka and that is 27,375 people power year. This is terrible and really unfortunate, all those are deaths that could be avoided. On the economic side, land degradation because of tobacco cultivation, labour inefficiency, because of smoking related diseases cannot be afforded by an undeveloped country like Sri Lanka. This is an epidemic and it should be arrested immediately. The Frame Work Convention, adopted by the World Health Assembly is a fine instrument in halting the epidemic. The treaty commits nations to: * ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, with an exception for nations with constitutional constraints; * require large warning labels covering at least 30 per cent of the principal display areas of the cigarette pack. The treaty also provides nations with a roadmap for enacting strong, science-based policies in other areas such as secondhand smoke protections, tobacco taxation, tobacco product regulation, combating cigarette smuggling, public education, and tobacco cessation treatment. While the measures in the FCTC represent a minimum set of tobacco control policies, the treaty explicitly encourages countries to go above and beyond these measures. Strong action on the part of countries will give them the opportunity to reduce the human suffering caused by tobacco and curb runaway costs of health care. The treaty must be signed and ratified by 40 countries. As soon as 40 countries ratify the convention, it becomes law for those countries and thereafter for other countries that ratify it. Brazil, the European Community, Malta, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, South Africa and Thailand have stated they will sign the FCTC today in Geneva. We hear that Norway is going to be the first country to sign the FCTC. We would be happy to see Sri Lanka among the first 10 countries that signs this international treaty. |
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