Guyana joins lobby to totally ban cigarette ads

Oct 26, 2010 News

Efforts to reduce cigarette smoking in Guyana has gained momentum with government and CARICOM health official agreeing to join lobbying efforts to greenlight a regional labeling standard.
According to the Guyana Chest Society, the Caribbean Tobacco Control Project regional team met in Guyana from October 5, for three days and had discussions with the Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health, as well as with Dr. Rudolph Cummings, Programme Manager, CARICOM Health Sector Development.
The team, in a statement yesterday, applauded “the efforts of both these Caribbean officials to lobby their colleagues to approve the CARICOM regional cigarette labelling standard.”
This standard addresses one of the public health protection measures contained in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world’s first public health treaty negotiated by the World Health Organization and signed by 171 member states.
“The WHO’s FCTC is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of protection from the health harms created by cigarette smoking and smoke.”
The WHO’s FCTC was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic.
Key provisions in the treaty encourage countries to enact comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and obligate the placement of rotating  health warnings on tobacco packaging that cover at least 30 percent (but ideally 50 percent or more) of the principal display areas and which can include pictures or pictograms.
The treaty is also advocating the banning of the use of misleading and deceptive terms such as “light” and “mild” and aims at protecting citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places.
Another critical issue the treaty addresses is the combating of smuggling, including the placing of final destination markings on packs. It also proposes an increase tobacco taxes.
“The project fully supports these ongoing efforts to revitalise the commitment of regional Governments to the Port of Spain Declaration made by CARICOM Heads of Government in 2007 subsequent to discussions on the alarming rise in Chronic Non Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) in the region and of which cigarette smoking and smoke are leading risk factors.”
In September 2011, the United Nations will hold a General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on CNCDs, initiated by CARICOM leaders.
On the eve of that historic deliberation, the region must act swiftly to “oppose attempts by the tobacco industry or its allies to interfere with, delay, hinder, or impede the implementation of public health measures designed to protect the population from the consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke,” according to the PAHO statement released after the September 2010 meeting of the 50th Ministerial Council of Health Ministers from the Americas.
The project, yesterday, said that in light of those developments, it is encouraging the regional political directorate, Ministries of Health, and other public health stakeholders, to redouble their efforts to complete local and regional FCTC requirements which are designed to protect citizens from disability, diseases and absenteeism from work occasioned by tobacco use, primarily in the form of cigarette smoking and smoke.