Leading Public Health Organizations Urge Guatemala and Honduras to Reject the Influence of Big Tobacco
Statement of Patricia Sosa, Director of Latin America and Caribbean Programs, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids joins leading public health organizations in urging Guatemala and Honduras to reject the influence of the tobacco industry as both countries prepare to attend the Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Geneva next week.
The COP, which is the governing body of the WHO FCTC, is held every two years and brings nearly every country in the world together to strengthen implementation of the WHO FCTC – the world’s first public health treaty, which obligates countries to introduce proven measures to drive down rates of tobacco use. Guatemala and Honduras both ratified the WHO FCTC in 2005.
Letters signed by more than a dozen organizations noted that in previous COP meetings, delegates from both countries obstructed discussions and supported positions aligned with the interests of the tobacco industry.
The tobacco industry has left no stone unturned in efforts to undermine the global progress made in driving down rates of tobacco use. The cornerstone of this progress is the WHO FCTC, which provides countries with a roadmap for policies that save lives and reduce the devastating burden of tobacco use.
Big Tobacco companies know that strong policies mean fewer smokers and decreased profits – so they pressure countries like Guatemala and Honduras to derail the important work that takes place at each COP.
Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death, claiming more than 8 million lives around the world each year. At COP11, Guatemala and Honduras have a renewed chance to join countries around the world in recommitting to ending this devastating epidemic – it’s time for them to take it.