Neil Ranasinghe: 20 years of the world’s first public health treaty, and what comes next
“Last year I chatted to Dr Sophie Braznell about the tobacco industry, e-cigarettes and the global tobacco epidemic that kills millions every year (A chat about e-cigarettes and the tobacco industry with Dr Sophie Braznell and Neil Ranasinghe). Smoking is the single biggest avoidable risk factor for cancer and causes 27% of all cancer deaths in the UK.
Thursday 27 February was the 20 year anniversary of the coming into force of a treaty designed to respond to the global tobacco epidemic.
The WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was the world’s first ever public health treaty and is responsible for saving millions of lives across the world. There are 183 parties to the WHO FCTC which means that up to 5.6 billion people globally are now covered by at least one tobacco control policy.
These evidence-based tobacco control measures include standardising packaging of tobacco products, requiring indoor spaces and workplaces to be smoke free, and restrictions on the advertising of tobacco products.
In recognition of this anniversary, Dr. Braznell’s colleague from the University of Bath’s Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG), Professor Anna Gilmore, has co-authored a commentary in The Lancet, a well-respected medical journal.
The commentary reflects on the FCTC’s achievements and explores how the treaty needs to change in order to continue to effectively address the tobacco epidemic. In the article, the authors set out a list of recommendations to protect global public health and counter tobacco industry interference.
Professor Gilmore and co-authors write:
“At the 20-year mark, the FCTC is therefore at an unavoidable inflection point. If a generation of young people is to be protected and progress restored, parties to the FCTC must step up their ambition.”
Authors: Anna B Gilmore et al.
Some of you know I listen to a lot of podcasts. The Tobacco Control Research Group’s podcast on the tobacco industry is compelling and eye-opening. Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco. Each episode reveals the tactics of the tobacco industry and how it pursues profit at the expense of public health.”
Written by Neil Ranasinghe
-
Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023