Smoke free partnership

Australia and France forge ahead with new packaging plans

Sam — 2010-05-03T10:16:18Z

Last week, France finalised a decision to introduce graphic health warnings on all cigarette packages and this week Australia unveiled plans to become the first country to introduce mandatory standardised packaging.

Sources: Le Monde , BBC News

On 16 April 2010, France's Minister of Health, Roselyne Bachelot, announced that graphic health warnings will be required on all cigarette packages in France.

Text warnings will cover 30% of the front of packages, and the new pictorial warnings will cover 40% of the back of packages, in addition to border size. Fourteen of the recommended EU health warnings have been chosen, and will be required on all cigarette packages from 20 April 2011, 1 year after the publication of the official decree. Please see the PDF below to read the decision and see the proposed images.

France becomes the sixth EU country to require pictorial warnings, joining Belgium (2006), Romania (2008), UK (2008), Latvia (2010) and Malta (2011). Some non-EU countries (Switzerland, Norway and Turkey) have also required pictorial warnings based on images taken from the European Commission library of 42 images. Worldwide, at least 36 jurisdictions have required pictorial warnings.

This week, Australia has set out plans for new rules forcing tobacco companies to use standardised packaging with graphic health warnings. This will mean that from July 2012, manufacturers would be required to drop all colour and branding logos from cigarette packets. All tobacco products will be sold in a standard colour and style, and carry government health warnings.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd aims to cut smoking-related deaths to under 10% by 2018.

The Government also announced a 25% increase in tax on cigarettes, effective from Friday 30 April. The move will put A$2.16 (€1.51) on a pack of 30 cigarettes.

"We welcome the introduction of graphic warnings in France and we are thrilled that Australia understands that the tobacco package is the silent saleman to recruit young people and women to a lifetime of tobacco addiction" said Florence Berteletti Kemp, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership.

"The review of the Tobacco Products Directive currently underway constitutes a major opportunity to introduce mandatory graphic warnings and standardised packaging in the European Region (and beyond); the Australian success is a huge boost to the campaign we have started and we hope that EU decision makers will seize this opportunity to follow the Australian example."

Spain to go Smoke-free in 2010

Sam — 2010-02-18T15:09:42Z

The Ministry of Health and Social Policy will ban smoking in all enclosed public spaces, entertainment venues and restaurants in 2010, according to minister Trinidad Jimenez.

Sources: Latin American Herald Tribune, RTVE and Elmundo

For Jimenez, "the problem is not smoking in public places, but in enclosed public places, and in this sense there are no plans to ban smoking on terraces and in bull rings.

The minister has acknowledged that "talks are very advanced" and there is a general consensus in the majority of political groups. "As long as we can secure political consensus, we will secure social consensus" she says, and states that the decision is easily justified as it is strongly founded on the protection of public health. "We're culturally ready to adopt it now, and we are in this final phase of negotiation," she remarks.

For months, Jimenez has been raising this issue, but until now had not specified a date. The minister has indicated on several occasions that Spanish society is ready for a total prohibition of smoking in public places and has insisted that public premises affected by the ban will not be hit economically.

Under the current law, people can smoke in restaurants and bars measuring less than 100 square metres, which account for 80% of the total number, and so the practical effects of the law are limited. Only 40,000 out of more than the 350,000 existing premises in Spain are smoke-free or allow for smoking areas, according to data from the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE).

According to surveys conducted by the ministry, 70 percent of Spaniards would support a total ban on smoking in all enclosed areas. "I want to do it as soon as possible and I think we ready to reach a decision soon," said the minister. Jimenez pointed out that restaurant workers are harmed by the current law, and gave numbers according to which 55,000 people die from smoking each year in Spain.

Several bodies such as Spain's Collegiate Medical Organization (OMC) and National Committee for Smoking Prevention have long demanded a tightening of the rules. The OMC has repeatedly denounced the "systematic breaching" of the existing law, and has urged the parliamentary groups to support the reform.

The Spanish Hospitality Federation has of course criticized the measure, claiming that the economic harm caused would exacerbate the drop in sales from the economic crisis. They argue that it will be the bars and small establishments that will suffer most, with a further estimated sales reduction of 10%. The ban will have strong repercussions on their businesses with more than 40 percent of the clientele made up of smokers, argues Luis Guerra of the Spanish Hospitality Federation.

The National Committee for Smoking Prevention, however, argues that the experience of other countries where similar bans have been implemented has not produced negative effects for the hospitality sector. Most European Union countries already have smoking prohibitions in force in public places, although with differing degrees of severity. In the strictest countries, Ireland, Italy, France and the United Kingdom, it is prohibited to smoke in all enclosed public places.

What is the current status of the draft Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments?

Sam — 2009-11-23T16:05:45Z

This article is to provide information on the current timeline and decision-making process regarding the draft Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments.

On 30 June 2009, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. The draft Recommendation is currently being discussed within the European Parliament and the Council.

The Council is currently negotiating the draft Recommendation under the Swedish presidency, and it intends to adopt it on 1 December 2009. Negotiations are also ongoing in the European Parliament. On 4 November 2009, rapporteur Edite Estrela posed an oral question to the Council, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, regarding the lack of time to debate the draft Recommendation. The oral question was then adopted by the Committee: 45 in favour, 1 against and 2 abstentions. The final Parliament negotiations on the Resolution will take place in Strasbourg on 25 November.

The Smoke Free Partnership welcomes the Commission's proposal for a Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. In order to strengthen and increase the effectiveness of the Recommendation, the SFP has made a number of comments and suggested amendments, in the form of a position paper.

The main points from our position paper are:

Introducing standardised packaging, as recommended by paragraph 46 of the Article 11 Guidelines of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, would greatly add to the combined warnings as referred to in Article 3 (b). You can read our case for standardised packaging here.

The proposed structure of the national focal points (Article 6) is vague. It is imperative that the structure and reporting procedure of the national focal points is further clarified. Further, the ‘coherent framework' (Article 7) for national focal points should be strongly defined with benchmarks and indicators based on FCTC criteria and a clear timeline.

In accordance with FCTC guidelines on Article 5.3, tobacco control efforts need to be protected from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry is not a relevant stakeholder in tobacco control debate.

Where Smoking Kills Most: WHO Map

Sam — 2009-11-23T15:29:11Z

According to the latest World Health Organisation data, almost one in five deaths in rich countries is caused by smoking.

Due to the fact that cancers and chronic respiratory diseases caused by tobacco use take time to develop, those who live in richer countries are feeling the adverse effects more strongly because they have been smoking longer.

The percentage of smoking-related deaths in poor countries is far lower. This can be attributed to the fact that many people in the poorer countries have adopted the smoking habits of the richer countries only very recently. It is predicted that the figures for tobacco-related deaths in the poorer countries will see a dramatic rise over the next 20 years.

Proposal for a Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments

margarida — 2009-07-20T10:02:49Z

On 30 June 2009, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. According to conservative estimates, over 79,000 adults, including 19 000 non-smokers, died in the EU-25 in 2002 due to exposure to tobacco smoke at home (72 000) and in their workplace (7 300).

Currently, ten EU countries have comprehensive smoke-free laws in place. UK and Ireland have the strictest smoke-free provisions with a complete ban on smoking in enclosed public places, on public transport and in workplaces. Bulgaria is due to follow suit in 2010.

The SFP interactive map on smokefree laws provides a detailed overview of smokefree legislation in EU Member States.

A Eurobarometer survey of March 2009 found 84% of EU citizens in favour of smoke-free offices and other indoor workplaces, 77% in favour of smoke-free restaurants, and 61% supporting smoke-free bars and pubs.

The proposal for a Council Recommendation adopted by the European Commission calls on Member States to act in three main fronts:
Adopt and implement laws to fully protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in enclosed public places, workplaces and public transport as cited in Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco control, within three years of the adoption of the Recommendation
Enhance smoke-free laws with supporting measures such as protecting children, encouraging efforts to give up tobacco use and pictorial warnings on tobacco packages.
Strengthen cooperation at EU level by setting up a network of national focal points for tobacco control.

Article 8 of the FCTC

The second edition of the 'Spotlight on the FCTC' highlights how the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States have met, or in some cases failed to meet, their obligations to tackle second-hand smoke, according to Article 8 of the convention.

Tobacco Free Europe: the diary of a campaign

margarida — 2009-06-05T13:22:31Z

The Tobacco Free Europe campaign was officially launched on May 7, 2009 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. ‘The Tobacco Free Europe pledge' was open for signature by all Members of the European Parliament on this occasion.

The Tobacco Free Europe campaign was officially launched on May 7, 2009 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The overall aim of the campaign is to promote tobacco control as a key health priority during the forthcoming European elections, as well as to build alliances with politicians and policy makers. ‘The Tobacco Free Europe pledge' was open for signature by all Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on this occasion.

The campaign is supported by the European tobacco control community and its steering group is composed of the SmokeFree Partnership, the European Network for Smoking Prevention, the European Cancer Leagues and the European Heart Network.

A key element of the campaign is ‘The Tobacco Free Europe pledge'. The pledge is based on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) provisions and it reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health:

Strong measures to counter tobacco marketing, promotion and imagery
Tough new measures to control tobacco smuggling
Commitment to taxation as a tool to reduce smoking prevalence
Comprehensive protection from tobacco smoke
Helping people to stop smoking
Stopping tobacco industry influence on government's tobacco control policies
Making industry liable for its actions

By signing the pledge MEPs and candidates will show their support for the effective implementation of the FCTC and tobacco control. In return, this will allow the tobacco control community to hold the successfully elected European Parliamentarians accountable for their commitments beyond the election.

Over the coming months a number of activities are planned to promote the pledge and reach out to candidates and MEPs. A second public event is planned for the second half of 2009.

The names of candidates and Members of the European Parliament who have signed the pledge can be found on the campaign website as well as the pictures of the event and relevant materials.

Progress in addressing tobacco industry interference

Florence Berteletti — 2008-12-02T16:06:48Z

We are happy to announce that The COP adopted very strong guidelines on Articles 5.3 (protection of public health policy with respect to tobacco control from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry), 11 (packaging and labelling) and 13 (advertising, promotion and sponsorship).

While big tobacco companies can still claim to be a “stakeholder” in public health, the 5.3 guidelines adopted at COP3 recognise that this industry has a fundamental conflict of interest with the aims and objectives of public health and tobacco control. The guidelines provide some guidance to the FCTC Parties on how best to achieve the objective of Article 5.3 of the convention in addressing tobacco industry interference.

Whilst the full text of the 5.3 guidelines is not yet available online, we can already inform you that the guideline is a detailed document of 15 pages which contain both Guiding Principles and Recommendations.

There are four principles:

Principle 1: There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry's interests and public health interests.

Principle 2: Parties, when dealing with the tobacco industry or those working to further its interests, should be accountable and transparent.

Principle 3: Parties should require the tobacco industry and those working to further its interests to operate and act in a manner that is accountable and transparent.

Principle 4: Because their products are lethal, the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their business.

In addition to the four principles, eight recommendations were adopted for addressing tobacco industry interference in public health policies.

8 recommendations:

1. Raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about tobacco industry interference with Parties' tobacco control policies.

2. Establish measures to limit interactions with the tobacco industry and ensure the transparency of those interactions that occur.

3. Reject partnerships and non-binding or non-enforceable agreements with the tobacco industry.

4. Avoid conflicts of interest for government officials and employees.

5. Require that information provided by the tobacco industry be transparent and accurate.

6. Denormalise and, to the greatest possible extent, regulate activities described as “socially responsible” by the tobacco industry, including but not limited to activities described as “corporate social responsibility”.

7. Do not give preferential treatment to the tobacco industry.

8. Treat state-owned tobacco industry in the same way as any other tobacco industry.

Please note that the full text will be soon available at http://www.who.int/gb/fctc/

The adoption of the guidelines on Article 5.3 is a huge victory for the public health community.

Spotlight on the FCTC

margarida — 2008-04-17T07:31:04Z

This second issue of "Spotlight on the FCTC" highlights how the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States have met, or in some cases failed to meet, their obligations to tackle second-hand smoke, according to Article 8 of the convention. The briefing is available in 7 EU languages.

Less than a third of the EU Member States have introduced fully comprehensive smokefree legislation, three years after the world's first public health treaty on tobacco control – the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – introduced the need for protecting employees from the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke.

The second issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC reveals how only nine of the 25 EU Member States that have signed and ratified the WHO treaty have so far introduced comprehensive smokefree legislation, leaving over half of Europe's workforce exposed to second-hand smoke.

EU Members States support RIP Cigarettes

Wolfgang — 2007-12-07T10:59:36Z

On November 29, 2007, the committee of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), which is made up of national representatives of the EU Member States, met and agreed to mandate CEN, the EU's standards making body, to develop a pan-European standard for production of fire-safer cigarettes. Once agreed, this standard will be the norm for all cigarettes produced in EU member states. Canada and Australia, as well as 22 States in the USA, have introduced fire-safer cigarettes. Data from New York State, for example, has shown that accidental fire deaths have fallen since the introduction of this new standard.

The campaign to introduce this standard in the EU was lead by the EU RIP Alliance, of which the Smoke Free Partnership forms part. It is clear that the efforts of the public health and NGO communities at national and European level have contributed significantly to ensuring national support within the Committee of the General Product Safety Directive for the introduction of reduced-ignition propensity, or fire-safer, cigarettes.

During the press event, MEP Arlene McCarthy (who has been the champion for this campaign in the European Parliament) stressed that this victory “would not have been possible without the help of the campaigners and all the organisations that signed up to the EU RIP Alliance”.

Speaking at the European Commission, the UK Government's Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Sir Ken Knight said:

"The decision in Europe today is a major step forward towards reducing the unnecessary loss of life from fire. It is the most vulnerable in society who die in fire, and 30% of all fire deaths in the home in the UK are caused by smoking materials. I look forward to playing an active part with European colleagues to produce a new standard for fire-safer cigarettes through the European standards body (CEN) to reduce the risk of fire across the EU."

Next steps in the campaign

The adoption of the decision (which will be official in the spring of 2008) is a huge success. However, there is more work to be done. Monitoring and ensuring that CEN, the EU standardisation body, gives appropriate consideration to the ASTM E2187-04 standard (in its most recent form and in accordance with the latest and most stringent version) at international level remains vitally important.

Global Voices Smokefree Status Report 2007

Nicky — 2007-08-01T15:27:25Z

In May 2007 the Global Smokefree Partnership published a report which focuses on the adoption of smoke-free laws around the world.

In May 2007 the Global Smokefree Partnership published the Global Voices Report. This year, the report focused on smoke-free environments.

The Report shows the increasing trend in the adoption of smoke-free laws around the world. In particular, in Europe at least 11 countries have introduced smoke-free laws in workplaces (including bars and restaurants) in order to protect workers from the consequences of passive smoking.

To read the Report, please click on the PDF below.