Adriana Blanco Marquizo
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control remains as relevant today as it did when it entered into force 20 years ago.
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India Gazette
30-05-2025
- India Gazette
WHO urges members to curb tobacco consumption under
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): World No Tobacco Day, marked annually on 31 May, addresses a major public health challenge--the persistent burden of tobacco use. This year's theme, 'Unmasking the Appeal' compels us to expose the deceptive marketing tactics and manipulative strategies employed by the tobacco industry, especially those targeting our youth and women, a statement by Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia said. Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death worldwide and is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illness. Our Region continues to bear a mammoth share of the global tobacco burden, with some 411 million adult tobacco users across our eleven countries. With one-third of the world's tobacco users, South-East Asia is the epicentre of the global tobacco epidemic. Most concerning is the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use, with the Region accounting for over 280 million users, or 77% of the global total, the statement said. The statement says, despite these alarming figures, we have reason to be hopeful. Between 2000 and 2022, tobacco use among adult men and women in the region declined from 68.9% to 43.7%, and from 33.5% to 9.4%, respectively. These significant reductions are the result of sustained, evidence-based tobacco control efforts led by governments, civil society, and public health advocates. Our collective resolve is paying off. We are on track to meet the NCD Global Target of a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence by 2025 among people aged 15 years and older, compared to 2010 levels. In fact, we are projected to achieve a 34% reduction, a rare and remarkable accomplishment. However, these gains must not breed complacency, the statement read. Tobacco remains an ever-evolving and formidable threat. We now face aggressive industry marketing of new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs) -- such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and flavoured nicotine pouches. These are being disguised as safer alternatives and deliberately targeted at children and adolescents. An estimated 11 million adolescents aged 13-15 years are already addicted to tobacco products in our region, nearly 30% of the global total in this age group. The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2025 urges us to unmask these dangerous industry ploys. Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products, attractive packaging, influencer endorsements on social media, and misleading health claims are tools of manipulation designed to recruit new users and keep existing users addicted. The statement called on the countries to take bold actions, including: strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and MPOWER provisions, enforcing comprehensive bans on NENTPs, expanding quality tobacco cessation services, and protecting health policies from tobacco industry interference in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC. The list further added- countering surrogate advertising and misleading promotion of smokeless tobacco and arecanut products, and investing in youth-led campaigns, peer education, and school health programs to build tobacco resistance and prevent initiation. WHO urged its Member States to invest in disaggregated data collection, strengthen research on local tobacco trends and their determinants, and enhance the enforcement of tobacco control laws on the ground to close regulatory loopholes and stay ahead of evolving industry malpractices. The WHO says, Tobacco use not only kills prematurely -- it deepens poverty, damages the environment, and burdens families and health systems. This World No Tobacco Day is a call for vigilance and action. Let us work together to 'unmask the appeal' of tobacco in all its forms and reveal its true face: disease, death, and despair. Together, we can create a future where our children live free from the shadow of tobacco and enjoy healthier, longer lives. (ANI)
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Business Recorder
Tobacco industry distraction?
As Pakistan grapples with economic instability and a looming revenue shortfall, the tobacco industry has once again deployed its playbook of deception to evade accountability and sabotage public health. The recent flurry of articles in the newspaper and social media appearances, regurgitating industry-funded 'studies' on illicit tobacco trade, is not a coincidence. It is a meticulously timed distraction, part of a decades-old strategy to paralyse policymakers into inaction on tobacco taxation, a measure proven to save lives and boost revenue. This year's budget cycle has exposed the tobacco industry's brazen manipulation of data, exploitation of regulatory loopholes, and blatant disregard for both Pakistani law and global health commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The narrative promoted by the tobacco industry is as predictable as it is disingenuous. Every year, ahead of budget discussions, front groups and affiliated media, and social media outlets amplify claims that unregistered local manufacturers dominate the market, evade taxes, and undermine 'legitimate' companies operating in Pakistan and other parts of the globe. These reports, often dressed as independent research, promote three key talking points: first, that multinational tobacco giants contribute up to 98 percent of tobacco taxes, positioning themselves as fiscal heroes; second, that their market share is shrinking due to illicit trade; and third, that taxing tobacco further would only exacerbate smuggling. But a closer examination reveals a web of contradictions, half-truths, and outright fabrications designed to serve one purpose: protecting profits at the expense of precious lives. Consider the glaring inconsistency in the Tobacco industry's data. While the industry claims reduced production in tobacco-growing regions, official figures from the Pakistan Tobacco Board show no significant drop in output. In 2023-24, nearly 60 million kilograms of tobacco was procured, sufficient to produce approximately 60 billion cigarette sticks. Yet, the tobacco industry insists its market share is declining, a contradiction that defies basic arithmetic. The reality is simpler: the industry has flooded the market with untaxed, non-compliant brands lacking graphic health warnings (GHW) or tax stamps, deliberately blurring the line between licit and illicit products. By introducing these shadow brands, multinational companies shift blame onto 'local unregistered manufacturers' while pocketing profits from the very market they decry as illicit. This duplicity is not just unethical, it violates FCTC Article 5.3, which obligates governments to insulate public health policies from commercial interests. The tobacco industry's manipulation extends to its financial reporting. Discrepancies in sales figures submitted to the statistics monitoring bodies, such as the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and Pakistan Stock Exchange, expose a deliberate strategy to confuse regulators and underpay taxes. For instance, while the tobacco industry reports declining sales to justify opposition to tax hikes, its stock exchange filings and procurement data tell a different story, one of stable or growing operations. Such tactics are not unique to Pakistan. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide, the tobacco industry exploits weak governance and regulatory gaps to undermine taxation, a core FCTC demand. By framing itself as a victim of illicit trade, the industry distracts from its role in perpetuating the crisis. Equally, alarming is the tobacco industry's capture of media and policymaking channels. Despite a ban on tobacco advertising, front groups and pseudo-research organizations routinely place half-page ads and op-eds in leading newspapers during budget season. These ads, masquerading as public service messages, repeat industry talking points unchallenged, normalizing the tobacco industry's influence in public discourse. A recent more violent example is the government's controversial approval for manufacturing 10-pack cigarettes for export to war-torn Sudan, a move that blatantly violates FCTC guidelines on tobacco manufacturing and exports, solely because these low priced-packs are easily affordable for children and youth, especially in the war zones where regulatory oversight is minimal, and exploitation risks are high. This decision, ostensibly framed as 'economic diplomacy,' reveals the tobacco industry's ability to bend policy even in areas with clear humanitarian and ethical red flags. The consequences of this interference are dire. Pakistan loses over PKR 700 billion annually to tobacco-related illnesses, while the tobacco industry contributes less than half of this in taxes, a fraction of the societal cost. By blocking tax increases, the tobacco industry ensures cigarettes remain affordable, fuelling addiction among youth and low-income populations. Meanwhile, the Tobacco industry's exaggerated claims about illicit trade, inflated by its own illicit practices, are weaponized to stall meaningful reforms. This cycle of deception is not unique to Pakistan; it mirrors tactics used in LMICs around the globe, where the tobacco industry preys on fragile institutions to entrench its market power. The solution lies in rejecting the tobacco industry's false binaries. Illicit trade is not an excuse to spare multinational corporations from taxation; it is a problem exacerbated by the industry itself and is purely an administrative issue. Strengthening tax enforcement, simplifying tax structures, and investing in track-and-trace systems would curb smuggling far more effectively than capitulating to the tobacco industry's demands. Moreover, LMICs must rigorously enforce FCTC Article 5.3 by mandating transparency in all government-tobacco industry interactions, banning corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by tobacco companies, and penalizing media outlets that platform industry propaganda. The upcoming budget is a litmus test for Pakistan's commitment to public health. With the national exchequer facing a revenue crisis, the government must recognize that the tobacco industry is not a partner but a predator. Heavy taxation of tobacco, aligned with WHO recommendations, could significantly reduce healthcare burden and generate billions in additional revenue. The tobacco industry's scare tactics about illicit trade must be met with facts, not fear. After all, an industry that manipulates data, evades taxes, and markets death to children has no moral standing to responsible fiscal policy. The stakes could not be higher. Every year, over 8 million die globally from tobacco-related diseases, 160,000 from Pakistan alone. Every delay in reform empowers the tobacco industry to addict a new generation. This budget season, policymakers must choose: Will they side with public health or corporate profit? The answer will impact future generations and their resolve to break free from the tobacco industry's deadly trap. Waseem Iftikhar Janjua / Syed Ali Wasif Naqvi (The writers are tobacco control advocates and work at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan. The views expressed by these writers are not necessarily those of the newspaper) Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
National News
24-03-2025
- National News
Lebanon stands to gain $400 million by implementing strong tobacco control measures
NNA - Under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Rakan Nassereldine, the Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched today the 'Tobacco Control Investment Case Study in Lebanon.' The launch event took place in Beirut, bringing together key stakeholders and experts in public health and economic development. The new investment case reveals that Lebanon could avert more than $400 million (LBP 15.2 trillion) in economic losses and save up to 40,000 lives over the next 15 years by implementing six key tobacco control policies recommended by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The study highlights the devastating economic and human cost of tobacco use in Lebanon, currently estimated at $140 million annually, equivalent to 1.9 percent of Lebanon's GDP. This burden includes significant healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and substantial human development losses. Furthermore, the economic benefits of strengthening tobacco control in Lebanon greatly outweigh the costs of implementation, with LBP 15.2 trillion in benefits versus just LBP 177 billion in costs. His Excellency the Minister of Public Health of Lebanon, Dr. Rakan Nassereldine said: 'Today, we are presented with strong evidence showing that tobacco control is not only a health priority but also a sound economic investment. This study quantifies what we have long known: tobacco use is devastating to individual health, increasing the burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. But beyond the human suffering, tobacco also imposes an enormous cost on our healthcare system, weakens productivity, and drains resources that Lebanon can no longer afford to lose.' Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in Lebanon emphasized that the national tobacco control law targeting to implement the various aspects of the WHO FCTC is an important public health measure that aims at improving people's health, preventing harm to non-smokers' health, and reducing the economic burden of smoking at the national level. He indicated that Lebanon stands as one of the top countries in the region for high smoking prevalence, highlighting an urgent need for decisive action in tobacco control. 'Integrating tobacco control into national economic recovery and growth plans and policies, will be critical in helping Lebanon achieve its economic goal' he said. Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC added: 'The findings of this investment case are clear. Strengthening tobacco control in Lebanon is not just a health imperative, it's an economic opportunity,' 'By taking decisive action now, we can significantly improve the lives of tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens and divert essential funds towards developmental priorities. We urge Lebanon to strengthen these life-saving measures in line with the WHO FCTC.' UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Thair Shraideh emphasized the need for sustained efforts in tobacco control through policy reform and legislative advancements. 'Lebanon has made progress in tobacco control, but further action is needed to protect public health and drive sustainable development,' he said. 'At UNDP, we remain committed to supporting Lebanon in this journey, together with the government, WHO, and our partners. By strengthening legislative frameworks, advancing evidence-based policies, and fostering multi-sectoral collaboration, we can mitigate the economic and health impacts of tobacco use while promoting broader development goals that safeguard well-being and protect future generations.' According to the investment case, implemented in collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health, the UNDP global health team and WHO, implementing the WHO FCTC measures could save over 2,600 lives per year and allow Lebanon to reinvest savings from reduced healthcare expenditures and increased tobacco tax revenues into critical national development priorities. These include universal health coverage, social protection programs, and economic recovery efforts. Currently, more than 9,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses per year in Lebanon, accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths in the country. Lebanon became a Party to the WHO FCTC in 2005, yet additional policy actions are required to fully leverage its benefits. The recommended policy actions include: Commit to fully implement the WHO FCTC. Strengthen tobacco tax structures and increase tax rates (WHO FCTC Article 6). Implement and enforce the other five tobacco control policies studied in this investment case: Create smoke-free public places and workplaces to protect people from the harms of tobacco smoke (WHO FCTC Article 8); Require graphic health warnings on tobacco product packaging that describes the harms of tobacco use (WHO FCTC Article 11); Plain packaging of tobacco products (WHO FCTC Guidelines for implementation of Article 11 and WHO FCTC Guidelines for implementation of Article 13); Promote and strengthen public awareness of tobacco control issues, including the health risks of tobacco use and tobacco smoke, addiction, and the benefits of cessation (WHO FCTC Article 12); and Promote cessation of tobacco use and treatment for tobacco dependence by training health professionals to provide brief advice to quit tobacco use (WHO FCTC Article 14). Strengthen multisectoral coordination for tobacco control in Lebanon by establishing a national coordination mechanism and bringing together various stakeholders (WHO FCTC Article 5.2a). Develop a national tobacco control strategy for Lebanon (WHO FCTC Article 5.1). Implement measures to protect public health policies from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry (WHO FCTC Article 5.3). Join the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, including by building capacity to combat illicit trade (Protocol and WHO FCTC Article 15). Identify opportunities to link the implementation of the WHO FCTC with wider sustainable development strategies. This initiative marks a further step in Lebanon's commitment to reducing tobacco-related health and economic burdens. -- WHO Lebanon
