Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - The World Health Organisation has said that a tobacco control treaty adopted in 2003 will become an international law before the end of this year 2004. Tobacco kills almost five million people each year. Tobacco also takes and enormous toll in health care costs,, lost productivity.
Almost 90% of the world’s nations have signed the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control FCTC with which governments promise to reduce advertising and promotion of tobacco, to designate special smoking areas in public areas and to fight tobacco trafficking.
FCTC is one of the UN Conventions which could be quickly approved. Since the text of the law was proposed in Geneva the process lasted a year.
The World Health Organisation sees the convention as a way of eliminating one of the main preventable causes of death. It is estimated that about 1.3 billion people smoke and half of them risk premature death due to connected illnesses. (AP) (6/7/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:16; Parole:199)
