Break the tobacco marketing net — WHO

The truth could never be more damning: Smoking is the world’s leading preventable cause of death today. So, for the tobacco industry to survive, it has to replace smokers it kills or those who quit. This it does by hooking new customers—often targeting teenagers and young adults. Unless urgent measures are undertaken, smoking could kill one billion people, 80% of these deaths in developing countries, during the 21st century.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to be steadfast in efforts to “break the tobacco marketing net”, including a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to combat tobacco use,

“Only a total ban on all tobacco advertising, one of WHO’s six strategies to combat tobacco use, can break the tobacco marketing net,” said Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

To know where we are in the fight against the tobacco barons, WHO and the Philippines’ Department of Health invite you to a joint press conference on Friday, 30 May 2008. The panellists will include at Dr Francisco T. Duque III and Dr Soe Nyunt-U, WHO Representative / Philippines.