Special Issue "WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Are Countries Fully Implementing It?"

Guest Editor
Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo
Advisor Tobacco Control Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, 525 23rd Street, Washington, DC 20037, USA
E-Mail: blancoad@paho.org
Phone: +1 202 9743591
Interests: tobacco control policies (health warnings, tobacco advertisement promotion and sponsorship, smoke-free environments); second hand smoke; tobacco industry; tobacco prevention; Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Dear Colleagues,

Tobacco epidemic is a major public health problem. It is not only one of the singular leading causes of preventable death and disability, it is also a common risk factor for the main chronic non communicable diseases (NCD) that were responsible in 2008 for 63% of the world mortality (WHO). From the almost 6 million deaths that tobacco causes every year, 600,000 occurred in non-smokers, 47% of them in women and 28% in children.

The WHO Framework Convention in Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO, had been in force since February 2005. As today, more than 170 countries are Parties to it, and are –therefore- legally bound by its measures. Even though new legislation had been enacted in many countries, as a whole, a small part of the world population is covered by WHO FCTC measures.

Data provided by the Global Tobacco Surveillance System shows that figures among youth (13 to 15 years old) do not forecast an improvement of the situation; furthermore girls smoking is growing and in the Region of the Americas had already outpaced boys’ consumption.

Tobacco use also imposes economic burdens on individuals and countries in direct medical costs and indirect costs from reduced productivity so is a factor that increases impoverishment of individuals, households and countries hindering social and economic development.

This special issue is open to any subject area of public health, economics and policy related to the tobacco epidemic. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo
Guest Editor

Submission

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• tobacco smoking
• public health
• smoking cessation, smoking initiation
• tobacco control policies/interventions
• tobacco control legislation impact (health, economic)
• bans on cigarette advertising and promotions
• tobacco taxation
• secondhand smoke
• clean-indoor air laws, public smoking bans, smoke-free environments
• Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
• tobacco industry interference
• economic costs of tobacco use/exposure

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in India: A Critical Review
Authors: Indrani Sharma¹, Monika Arora^{1, 2}, Amit Yadav^{1, 2}, Radhika Shrivastava²
Affiliations: ¹ PHFI (Public Health Foundation of India), ISID Campus 4 Institutional Area Vasant Kunj New Delhi, 110070 India
² HRIDAY – SHAN (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth, Student Health Action Network, C-1/52, 3rd Floor, Safdarjung Development Area New Delhi-110 016, India
Abstract: It is estimated that 6 million people die every year due to tobacco use, of which every sixth is an Indian. To deal with the escalating tobacco burden, WHO adopted FCTC in 2003. India was the eighth country to ratify the treaty. In a parallel development India enacted Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) that had already incorporated certain key recommendations under FCTC.The implementation of FCTC is monitored through COP (Conference of the Parties) reports or WHOs (World Health Organization) MPOWER status reports, while the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), launched in 2007, evaluates the implementation of COTPA in India. At this juncture, with 6 years into FCTC and 7 years of COTPA implementation, this paper envisions reviewing the status of implementation of the global and national tobacco control laws and present a critical review of the current scenario of tobacco control vis-à-vis FCTC and COTPA in India. Published and unpublished literature will be reviewed to highlight impact of tobacco control policy implementation, challenges faced during implementation, industry opposition and evaluate the policy gaps while identifying the priority areas for action for effective tobacco control. This review will benefit other economically emerging countries that are implementing FCTC through country level policy measures.