The World Health Organisation organised an international conference on Global Tobacco Control Law: Towards a WHO framework convention on Tobacco Control in New Delhi India from 7th January 2000.

In his address Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region observed:" ...Mankind is yet to take concrete steps to negate the severe health and socio- economic impact of tobacco. As we welcome the dawn of the new millenium, the world faces a formiddable public health challenge posed by tobacco."

He also said that already 800 million of the estimated 1.2 billion smokers in the world live in developing countries. In another 25 years 75% of the world's smokers will live in these countries. They will account for seven million of the global 10 million tobacco-related deaths by the third decade of the century. Today, 80% of the global tobacco production comes from developing countries. Four countries including India account for two thirds of the world's production.

In many countries of the region, about 25-30% of a poor man's income is spent on tobacco. The expenditure on diagnosis and treatment, travel for treatment, and loss of income due to absenteeism goes far beyond the means of most families.

He also observed that today the link between TB and tobacco needs no elaboration. This region accounts for 40% of the world's reported tuberculosis cases.

The litigation against the tobacco industry in the USA holds valuable lessons for all of us. The industry cannot be allowed to continue to sell hazardous and addictive products. Nor should it be permitted to continue to lure millions of innocent children into tobaccouse under the garb of trade liberalisation and the right to freedom of speech. The tobacco industry knows the health hazards of tobacco and skillfuly markets death. With the power of this information, we must ensure that our children understand the dangers they face.

Dr Rafei further appealed to the people that with focussed commitment and the determination of all governments, the world can become tobacco free.

At the conference details about LutherL Terry awards for exemplary leadership in Tobacco control was also made available. Nominations are invited for the award. These awards will be presented in five categories - Outstanding Individual Leadership, Outstanding organisation, outstanding corporate service, exemplary leadership by a Government Ministry, and Distinguished creer award. These awards will recognise unsung heroes worldwide in the field of anti- tobacco adovocacy. Last date for submission of awards May 15,2000.

World Assembly on Tobacco Counters Health (WATCH 2000) was also held simultaneously at Vigyan Bhawan,New Delhi. Details of this conference can be had at www.watch-2000.org.

Internet being used by Tobacco companies for advertising:

Alarm was raised about increasing misuse of websites by tobacco companies for advertising at this conference. In Asia-pacific, some of the world's largest tobacco companies are planningto circumvent the Eureopean Union-wide ban on cigarette advertising and sponsorship by legally promoting their cigarette brand names in a new range of coffee products. The idea of linking coffee and tobacco is being tested in Malaysia by World Investment company, a private company set by BAT explicitly to developnon-tobacco products to be badged with names of cigarettes. The amount of indirect marketing, particularly brand stretching, has been increasing markedly over the past 3 years in Thailand

Luk Joossens from Belgium and Ms Bungon Ritthiphakde from Thailand jointly appealed for an international regulatory strategy. India should increase its efforts in this direction.

They wanted the following: 1.Direct or indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship by the tobacco industry across all media and in all forms of entertainment should be banned world wide. This should include a ban on the use of any brand names, logos, images or trademarks associated with the tobacco industry on non- tobacco products and services. 2. Regional and international trade organisations should follow the example of the world bank and ensure that their activities do not promoteor support the tobacco industry and do not diminish the effects of tobacco control efforts. A section on investments and trade practices that increase tobacco supply and consumption should be included in the proposed WHO framework convention on Tobacco control. 3. National governments should recognise the negative impact that tobacco use has on their economies and take all postive measures to restrict activities of the tobacco industry. 4. Cigarette smuggling can be reduced, but actionneed to be at national, regional and world level. At the international level the proposed WHO framework convention on tobacco control should contain a specific protocol on smuggling. This protocol should, for instance, require record-keeping and tracking systems, which place the onuson the manufacturers to prove that cigarettesarrive legally in their end user markets.

Attention Lawers: Golden opportunity awaits you

At this conference WHO also made it known that it is looking for Legally qualified individuals to take up the challenging opportunity to serve the international community for a Tobacco free world.

The Tobacco free initiative TFI of the World Health Organisation is committed to a coordinated global response to tobacco asan important public health issue. TFI is seeking highly qualified members of the legal community (practitioners and academia) to participate in its rapid deploymentteams offering technical assistance to member states in order to enact effective and comprehensive tobacco control legislation. Candidates would also be involvedin the assessment of the effectiveness of existing tobacco control legislation and develop proposal for improvement.

Last date for application is February 29,2000 and one can email the same to vryonidesd@who.ch Rehabilitation of farmers growing Tobacco:

In India the standard response for not banning Tobacco cultivation is the danger of unemployment. The classicargument of farmers is that they grow tobacco because there is no alternative to tobacco growing. The truth is that little funding has been available to examine the possibilities for alternative crops. Small farmers needto be given real prospects for the future. This involves overcoming the problems linked to conversion from tobacco growing to other crops,such as lower returns, lack of capital investment, irrigation, training, the lack of agricultural research,and the impossibility of replacing tobacco by just one other commodity. Diversification is not an easy process, but without investment in research an alternative to tobacco growing will never be found. We must make up our mind to invest more on researh on alternate crops.

Needed a strong National Tobacco control commission:

The conference also stressed the need for a strong national tobacco control commission. one suggesstions was to include tobacco control issues in the mandate of human rights institutions, possibley by drawing up aprogramme on human rights, health and tobacco control. Another option would be to add tobacco control tothe mandate of national commissions on sustainable development. As conditions of work also encompass indoor air pollution, a smoke-free work environment and other tobacco control issues could become part of the mandate of consultation and cooperation with organisations in the labour field. Finally national medical research academies are suggested as possible institutions tht could be strengthened to include tobacco control.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke ETS: ETS exposure is causally associated with increased risks of lower respiratory illnesses,including bronchitis and pneumoniain the first years of life

ETS exposure is a cause of chronic respiratory symptoms in school-aged children

ETS exposure increases the severity and frequency of symptoms of children with asthma

ETS exposure is causally associated with the risk if acute and chronic ear disease.

Maternal smoking is a cause of small reductions in lung function.The predominant effect may be from smoking during pregnancy.

ETS exposure of non smoking women during pregnancy is a cause of small reductions in average birth weight.

Parental smoking is associated with learning difficulties, behavioural problmes, and language impairment in their children.

ETS exposure is associated with physiological changes in children that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

These were the conclusions arrived at last years International consultation on Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Child Health at Geneva, Switzerland.

The new millenium has started with several intellectuals thinking on socially relevant issues and the speedy way to find solutions to them. The WHO initiative at Delhi is one major milestone at the beginning of this century. Let us hope that soon we will be travelling on the right path to a TOBACCO FREE WORLD.