The Cancer Society: "Historical day for the fight against smoking"
* The declaration of intent has become a legal obligation
Avi Blizovsky
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/nosmoking080805.html
The Israeli government approved yesterday (Sunday) the framework convention of the World Health Organization on tobacco control. The treaty includes measures to reduce the smoking epidemic.
Miri Ziv, CEO of the Association to Fight Cancer: "This is a historic day for the fight against smoking. Today, the State of Israel joins the pantheon of enlightened countries, which have learned to understand that the smoking epidemic is a worldwide problem, with serious consequences for public health, which requires as extensive international cooperation as possible. I congratulate the Minister of Health, Danny Neve, for his determination to approve the agreement in the government as an essential step in his power to give this declaration of intentions, a real legal commitment. The signing of the treaty is an important step in the fight against the scourge of smoking, which is the number one preventable cause of death. Every year in Israel about 10,000 people die as a result of smoking, more than the number of people who die as a result of car accidents, wars and acts of terrorism combined. The history of legislation in the State of Israel has unequivocally proven that it contributes significantly to lowering smoking rates. For example, in Israel in 1970, in the period before the various legal restrictions, the proportion of smokers was 42%. In 1992, the proportion of smokers dropped to 31% and today it stands at about 24%, which is the lowest proportion of smokers in the history of the State of Israel. In recent years, a number of significant laws in the field of smoking have been promoted in legislation, the framework agreement contains a large number of initiatives, the transformation into laws will be an effective weapon in the fight against smoking."
The position of the Association for the War on Cancer regarding the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization - WHO
The Framework Convention was formulated, in order to provide an effective, appropriate and comprehensive international response, while reflecting the concerns of the international community regarding the devastating consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke on health, society, the economy and the environment throughout the world, out of great concern due to the increase in the production and consumption of cigarettes and other Tobacco products all over the world, and especially in developing countries, and due to the circumstantial burden on families, the poor and the local health systems, recognizing that scientific evidence has proven in a way that cannot be interpreted in two ways that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke lead to mortality, morbidity and disability, and that there is a time gap between The smoking or use of other types of tobacco products and the appearance of tobacco-related diseases, and from the recognition that cigarettes and other products containing tobacco are carefully engineered in order to induce and maintain dependence, and that most of their ingredients, including the smoke they produce, are pharmacologically active, toxic, and cause mutations and carcinogens, and that dependence on tobacco is a separate disease classification in the main international disease classifications.
All this while acknowledging the clear scientific evidence that proves that exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy causes health and developmental problems for the baby, out of deep concern about the increase in the scope of smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption among children and adolescents all over the world, and especially the decrease in the age of smokers, out of deep concern about the increase in the scope of smoking and other the forms of tobacco consumption among women and girls all over the world; And while before their eyes is the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and its implementation and the need for gender-focused strategies for tobacco control, out of deep concern about the large volumes of smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption among backward nations, out of deep concern about the impact of all forms of advertising, promotion and provision The sponsorship, which encourages the use of tobacco products, recognizing that joint steps are needed to eradicate the illegal trade, in all its forms, of cigarettes and other tobacco products, including smuggling, illegal production and counterfeiting, recognizing that tobacco control, at all levels, and especially in developing countries and countries with a transition economy, requires economic and technical resources in accordance with the existing needs and the expected needs of tobacco control activities, while recognizing the need to develop appropriate mechanisms to deal with the long-term social and economic consequences of strategies to reduce the demand for tobacco, while being aware of the potential social and economic difficulties that may arise as a result of control programs in the field of tobacco in the medium and long term in developing countries and countries with a transition economy, and recognizing the need of these countries for technical and financial assistance for the development of achievable national strategies,
While being aware of the valuable work carried out by many countries in terms of tobacco control, and while noting to praise the leadership of the World Health Organization and the efforts of other organizations and subsidiary bodies of the United Nations, including other regional international and intergovernmental organizations for the development of control measures in the field of tobacco,
while emphasizing the special contribution of non-governmental organizations and other entities from the private sector that are not related to the tobacco industry, including entities that offer professional health services, women's groups, youth groups, environmental groups, consumer groups, academic institutions and health institutions, to the local and international efforts for supervision in the field tobacco and the crucial importance of the participation of these bodies in the local and international efforts for supervision in the field of tobacco,
Recognizing the need to be alert to efforts on the part of the tobacco industry to undermine or divert tobacco control efforts, and the need to be aware of activities carried out by the tobacco industry that may have a negative impact on tobacco control efforts,
Referring to Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the UN General Council on December 16, 1966, which states that every person has the right to enjoy as good physical and mental health as possible,
And referring to the preamble to the constitution of the World Health Organization, which states that the right to enjoy as good physical and mental health as possible is one of the fundamental rights of every person, without discrimination between race, religion, political opinion or economic and social status,
With a determination to advance the tobacco control measures based on the latest and relevant considerations in the field of science, technology and economics,
Referring to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in all its Forms, adopted by the United Nations General Council on December 18, 1979, which states that the member states of the Convention will take appropriate measures to eradicate discrimination against women in the field of health services,
Referring to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN General Council on November 20, 1989, which states that the member states of the Convention recognize the right of children to enjoy as good physical and mental health as possible.
The text of the agreement is published on the website of the Cancer Society
Cancer research expert
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~234159109~~~178&SiteName=hayadan
