Dr. Gary Auerbach was asked by APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, to compose a letter to President Obama concerning the tobacco treaty. He shares a draft of the letter here:
March 29, 2009
Mr. President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC
Mr. President:
On behalf of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world, dedicated to protecting all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious, health threats and assuring community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities, I write in support of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a health treaty passed by the World Health Organization in 2003.
The American Public Health Association and the other co-signors on this letter ask you to please review the FCTC and to pass it to the Senate for their consideration for ratification.
The FCTC is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization. It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.
It is well established by international scientific evidence that smoking tobacco, the use of other tobacco products, and exposure to second-hand smoke are among the most serious and pervasive but preventable threats to individual and public health.
The World Health Organization is responding to this threat by establishing a program of action known as the Tobacco Free Initiative including the development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The spread of the tobacco epidemic is facilitated through a variety of complex factors with cross-border effects, including trade liberalization and direct foreign investment. Other factors such as global marketing, transnational tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and the international movement of contraband and counterfeit cigarettes have also contributed to the explosive increase in tobacco use. The FCTC commits nations to ban tobacco advertising, and promotion; place large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packs; raise tobacco taxes; and protect people from secondhand smoke.
On February 27, 2005, a momentous achievement occurred in global tobacco control: Garnering its 40th ratification, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) became international law.
On November 8, 2005, the same movement experienced a disappointing setback: The United States, the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world had failed to ratify the FCTC. While the rest of the world moves forward with the FCTC, it is unclear whether the United States will take part. The United States signed the treaty in 2004, indicating its general support, but the Administration had not taken the next step of forwarding the FCTC to the United States Senate for consideration as is required by the constitution. A two-thirds majority approval by the Senate is necessary for the U.S. to ratify the treaty and become a voting member of the FCTC’s international governing body.
According to Laurent Huber, Director of the Framework Convention Alliance, the FCTC currently has 161 Parties (160 countries + the EU). These 161 Parties are legally bound by the FCTC. 168 countries including the US are signatories to the treaty, although signing does not legally bind countries. By not ratifying the FCTC the United States will relinquish any role in critical policy decisions related to the treaty and will take a back seat in addressing the global tobacco epidemic, the leading preventable cause of death in America today.
Therefore, the American Public Health Association and the other co-signors on this letter ask you to please review the FCTC and to pass it to the Senate for consideration of ratification.
Respectfully submitted,
Georges C. Benjamin MD, FACP, FACEP (Emeritus)
Executive Director
GA/GCB
cc: Health and Human Services Secretary Senator Tom Daschle
Chief of Staff of Secretary of HHS Bill Core
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
http://www.fctc.org/~fctcorg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=27
Full list of Signatories and Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
World Health Organization, 2008
http://www.who.int/fctc/signatories_parties/en/index.html
Co-signors
Action on Smoking or Health
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Association of Respiratory Care American Cancer Society
American Chiropractic Association
American College of Cardiology
American College of Chest Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine American Dental Association
American Dental Hygienists' Association American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Medical Association
American Medical Student Association
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Addiction Medicine
American Thoracic Society
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights
Asian Services In Action, Inc.
Association for Nonsmokers-MN
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs Black Network In Children's Emotional Health California Tobacco Control Alliance
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Center for Communications, Health and the Environment Center for International Environmental Law Center for Tobacco Cessation
Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii
COMMIT for a Tobacco Free Whatcom County Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America CorpWatch
Corporate Accountability International
Council for Responsible Public Investment Development Group for Alternative Policies Essential Action
Foreign Policy In Focus
General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church Global Citizen Center
Global Exchange
Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy National Association of Local Boards of Health National Latino Council on Alcohol & Tobacco Prevention National Research Center for Women & Families Ohlone College Student Health Center
Oncology Nursing Society
REAL: Hawaii Youth Movement Against the Tobacco Industry Roswell Park Cancer Institute
San Francisco African American Tobacco Free Project San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Society for Public Health Education
Solano County Tobacco Education Coalition SPEAK EZ'n SLO
Swan Valley Community Support Network
Students Taking a New Direction
Strategic Vision Group
Tobacco Control Law & Policy Consulting Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, Inc.
University of Hawai'i Community Partnership for Health and Fresh Air
Dr. Auerbach also attended meetings of the World Health Organization in Geneva as a representative of WFC with Dr. Medhat Alattar. He sent a photo from the plenary session in Geneva!
