U.S. Senators to Announce First-Ever International Policy Conference on Children and Tobacco

Washington, DC - Youth tobacco use has been the focus of much public debate here in the United States. On a global scale, the problem is far worse. Projections indicate that worldwide, 200 to 300 million of today's children and teenagers will die prematurely as a result of tobacco use. Although it is the leading preventable cause of death, there is still no global approach for reducing the health, economic and social costs of tobacco use and exposure. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) will sponsor the first-ever International Policy Conference on Children and Tobacco from March 17 to 19 at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. This landmark conference will bring together legislators, parliamentarians, and other political leaders representing more than 30 countries and 75 percent of the world's population, to identify key policies that nations throughout the world can pursue to reduce tobacco use by children. Other sponsors of the event include American Cancer Society, The American Public Health Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. International participants include the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Organization of American States. At media event on March 3, the Senators and Bill Novelli, president of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, will announce the International Policy Conference. They will also release a briefing paper documenting the problems and challenges of youth tobacco use around the world. WHO: U.S. Senators Dick Durbin, Ron Wyden and Susan Collins Bill Novelli, President Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids WHAT: Announcement of first International Conference on Children and Tobacco and release of briefing paper WHEN: March 3, 1999 9:30 a.m. WHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-124 A list of participating countries and officials is attached. INTERNATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS CANADA 1. Elinor Caplan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health 2. Colin Kenny, Senator UNITED STATES 1. Lloyd Doggett, Congressman 2. Henry Waxman, Congressman 3. Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman BRAZIL 1. Elias Murad, Senator CHILE 1. Guido Girardi, Congressman 2. Senator Mariano Ruiz Esquide, President of Health Committee COLOMBIA 1. Dr. Juan Pablo Uribe Restrepo, Vice Minister of Health COSTA RICA 1. Sonia Villalobos Barahona, Congresswoman MEXICO 1. Dr. Roberto Tapia Conyer, Subsecretario 2. Santiago Padilla, Diputado, Health Commission 3. Mercedes Juan, Diputada FRANCE 1. Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Health ITALY 1. Marida Bolognesi, President of the 12th Commission on Social Affairs 2. Carla Mazzuca, Chairperson for Bicameral Comm. on Infancy NORWAY 1. Dagfinn Hoybraten, Minister of Health and Social Affairs UNITED KINGDOM 1. Tessa Jowel, Minister of Health CZECH REPUBLIC 1. Ivan David, Minister of Health HUNGARY 1. Gogl Arpad, Health Minister LITHUANIA 1. Dr. Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis M.P. POLAND 1. Dr. Stanislaw Grzonkowski, Member of Parliament 2. Seweryn Jurgielaniec, MD, Vice Chairman of the Health Commission RUSSIA 1. Nicolai Fedorovich Gerasimenko, Deputy of the State Duma of Russia 2. Galit Askerhanov M.P., The State Duma 3. Victor Vorogushin, Deputy Chairman, The State Duma UKRAINE 1. Serhiy Teriokhin, Member of Parliament, Head of Tax Subcommittee CHINA 1. Dr. Hu Yamei, Member, Congress of The People 2. Dr. Cao Ronguii, Vice Minister of Health INDIA 1. Dr. Kamala Verma, , Local Government and Social Welfare Minister, Haryana PHILIPPINES 1. Dr. Alberto Romualdez M.D., Secretary of Health 2. Senator Juan Flavier, Senate Committee on Health SRI LANKA 1. Dr. Senadeerage Jayalath Jayawardene, Member of Parliament 2. Dullas Alahapperuma, Member of Parliament AUSTRALIA 1. Rob Knowles, Health Minister, State of Victoria 2. David Hill, Chair, Ministerial Tobacco Advisory Committee NEW ZEALAND 1. Tuariki Delamere, Associate Minister of Health SENEGAL 1. Assane Diop, Ministre de la Sante 2. Adbourhime Agne, Member of Parliament SOUTH AFRICA 1. Dr. Nkosazana Dlimi Zuma, Minister of Health UGANDA 1. Betty Akech, Minister of State, Health Care ZIMBABWE 1. Timothy Stamps, Minister of Health and Child Welfare EGYPT 1. Dr. Sherif Omar, Member of Parliament 2. Dr. Ismail Sallam, Minister of Health and Population ISRAEL 1. Dr. Ephraim Sneh, Labor Party TURKEY 1. Dr. Ahmet Feyzi Inceoz, Member of Parliament