Health group welcomes World Bank’s positive appraisal of PH tobacco tax, emphasized need for higher rates
November 7, 2016Health think tank: two-tier tobacco tax ineffective, will not make smokers quit
November 28, 2016
The country’s delegates to the seventh session of Conference of the Parties (COP) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control pushed for stronger implementation of Article 5.3 of the agreement, which refers to protecting public health and tobacco control laws and policies against the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. The COP took place in New Delhi, India from November 7 to 12, 2016.
The COP, which takes place every two years, is an opportunity for the parties to the agreement to talk about strengthening the global tobacco treaty and improving the mechanisms to implement it. During the sixth COP, the Parties agreed on the Article 6 guidelines, which now outline the best practices in increasing tobacco tax.
“180 countries or over 90 percent of the countries around the world have taken a stand in favour of public health and against big tobacco by ratifying the WHO FCTC. The battle is far from over, and the tobacco industry has definitely not slackened in employing massive economic resources to defeat public health laws and policies. But the show of commitment to the WHO FCTC here at the seventh COP demonstrates that health will win this war,” said Atty. Irene Reyes of HealthJustice Philippines.
HealthJustice Philippines is a non-stock, non-government organization “bridging the gap between health and law” by advancing tobacco control and health promotion in the Philippines. It received the Bloomberg Award for Global Tobacco Control in 2012.
“We remind the government to be vigilant in choosing the organizations it deals with. Tobacco manufacturers often prey on the local government offices and public schools, offering them training, equipment and other supplies as part of their so-called ‘CSR’. We should work together to give greater life to the Civil Service Commission – Department of Health Joint Memorandum Circular (CSC-DOH JMC) 2010-01 prohibiting the tobacco industry from interacting with and trying to influence the government,” Reyes urged.
