WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Safer nicotine wiki Tobacco Harm Reduction
Revision as of 14:19, 14 December 2020 by Richardpruen (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Overview

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland on 21 May 2003. It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under article 19 of the WHO constitution. The treaty came into force on 27 February 2005. It had been signed by 168 countries and is legally binding in 181 ratifying countries. There are currently 15 United Nations member states that are non-parties to the treaty (nine which have not signed and six of which have signed but not ratified).

The FCTC, one of the most quickly ratified treaties in United Nations history, is a supranational agreement that seeks "to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke" by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide. To this end, the treaty's provisions include rules that govern the production, sale, distribution, advertisement, and taxation of tobacco. FCTC standards are, however, minimum requirements, and signatories are encouraged to be even more stringent in regulating tobacco than the treaty requires them to be.

The FCTC would best serve public health by doing some or all of the following:

  • Recognise the opportunity, not just a threat. [1]
    • ENDS do not pose a threat to tobacco control but a huge opertunity.
  • Call for more research and of higher quality. [1]
    • Research to date is lacking in both quality and quantity
  • Make more of TobReg for scientific assessment. [1]
  • Refashion the surveillance system to reflect changes in the nicotine market. [1]
  • Track and summarise the evolving policy environment. [1]
  • Promote high quality regulation and standard-setting by Parties. [1]
  • Focus on the relationship between the state and citizen. [1]
  • Improve the tone and be more inclusive. [1]
  • Reframe the UN/WHA non-communicable disease targets. [1]
  • Reshape the FCTC to recognise the range of risk within tobacco products. [1]
  • Let FCTC Parties learn from ENDS and other harm reduction policies before bringing into the FCTC. [1]
  • Focus on obligation to ‘do no harm’ and the dangers of unintended consequences. [1]