The Other Treaty
In case you missed it, another global treaty besides Kyoto went into effect this last week.
It was the World Health Organization's anti-smoking treaty.
And yes, you guessed it.
A particularly large, influential geographic state
with large smoking companies
is not a party to the agreement.
Based on WHO figures, 5 million people die each year from smoking.
According to this BBC article
Each day about 13,500 people worldwide die from smoking-related diseases. By 2020 the mortality rate will have doubled - the equivalent of 10 million a year. To tackle the rise, which is expected to be felt hardest in developing countries, the World Health Organization's tobacco control treaty comes into force on Sunday.
It has been hailed as a landmark in the fight against smoking after developing countries - where 84% of the world's 1.8 billion smokers live - took a lead role in setting it up.
Dr Vera Luiza Da Costa e Silva, director of the Tobacco Free Initiative, the WHO department behind the treaty, said she expected the number of countries to have ratified it to top 100 by November.
More than 100 other countries have also signed the treaty, but will not be bound by its restrictions until they agree to ratify it.
"Obviously getting other countries to ratify it is the natural step and I think that will happen.
"The framework allows member countries to work together to protect themselves from the big cigarette manufacturers through tightening marketing restrictions, controlling pricing and sponsorship.
"This is particularly relevant for the developing countries, which are increasingly being targeted by tobacco companies."
However, some believe the treaty is weakened by the refusal of the US to become a member.
Officials close to the treaty negotiators told BBC News that ever since the idea was first proposed in 1995, the US has been trying to water down the contents under pressure from the tobacco industry.
Whether it is big corporations smoking out our air,
changing the climate and potentially killing millions,
Or big corporations selling shit to smoke out your lungs,
causing suffering and disease, already killing millions
or big corporations blowing smoke on the issues,
so they can keep pocketing their millions,
They just don't seem to care.
I wonder what they are smoking?
You and I can't kill people with impunity.
Why do we let our Corporate Citizens do it?
We need Corporate Capital Punishment
for these Psychocorps.
.
posted by oZ @ 1:11 PM
3 Comments:
please, I haven't absorbed the previous story yet.
Well, I usually agree with OZ, but I believe we should save our regulation for things as energy policy and pollution.
If people want to smoke and can do so with minimal harm (such as increasing health insurnace cost) to those of us who do not smoke, I say let them smoke. CHF
I want anyone who wants to, to smoke what ever they want. But, I think it is reasonable to forbid giant multinational marketing organizations from targeting the young of the third world, and thus addict them to a known carcinogen.
The treaty is requiring the companies to maintain the same standards of marketing conduct in third world countries as they are already meeting in most developed countries.
Health losses from smoking, to insurance companies and employers (and thus us) in the developed world is staggering.
Since health insurance is not available in third world countries, its more a matter of premature death and suffering.
That said, thanks for the comment CF.
Post a Comment
<< Home