By Judith Mackay
Vital Strategies Senior Advisor for Tobacco Control
Not all that long ago, the though of a tobacco-free generation was a mere pipe dream.
But a two-day conference organized by Ash Scotland in Edinburgh, “Towards a Generation Free from Tobacco”, centered around turning this vision into a reality.
It’s now been half a century since the first tobacco control legislation was introduced, with Singapore leading the way.
It is still at the forefront of tobacco control policy and enforcement. Singapore is considering a ban on the sale of tobacco products to anyone born during or after the year 2000.
The conference in Edinburgh highlighted the universality of the tobacco epidemic. I made the point that it is the same product creating the same harm and requires the same action to be taken all around the world.
While this may make the challenge of tobacco control seem overwhelming, it also presents an opportunity for shared solutions.
Key Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) strategies to reduce consumption – such as higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free areas and a ban on all tobacco promotion – work universally.
Many countries led the way and successfully reduced tobacco prevalence. We’ve seen the abolition of most tobacco advertising, smoke-free laws, graphic pack warnings in about 80 countries, and plain packaging introduced in Australia, with Ireland and the UK set to follow.
Now big tobacco has changed its tactics and is challenging countries with constitutional and trade threats when they attempt to introduce tobacco control legislation.
One tobacco control measure discussed at the conference looked at linking foreign aid contributions to more stringent tobacco control measures.
Donor countries could play a pioneering role in this. Many low-income countries that receive foreign aid have tobacco-dependent economies.
By making foreign aid reliant on the implementation of tougher tobacco control policies in these countries, donors could help turn the tide against big tobacco.
By directing some of that aid towards farmers to help them grow alternative crops and making aid payments conditional on higher tobacco taxes or advertising bans, we could help set a new direction for tobacco control.
Without intervention, WHO estimates tobacco could kill up to one billion people by 2100.
Many of these deaths will be in low- and middle-income counties countries. But this could be avoided if they are encouraged to adopt tobacco control policies that are proven to work.