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Editorials: D Yach Injecting greater urgency into global tobacco control Tob Control 2005; 14: 145-148 [Full text] [PDF]

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Who governs tobacco?

Stephen L Hamann   (30 May 2005)

Who governs tobacco? 30 May 2005
Stephen L Hamann, Consultant Thai Health Promotion Foundation Send letter to journal: Re: Who governs tobacco? slhamann{at}hotmail.com Stephen L Hamann	I enjoyed Derek Yach’s editorial. I believe that the FCTC and new research that will support its transnational aspects can make a big difference. But will they? I would warn against over optimism and for an understanding of the commitment and sustained action that will be required. First, one must face the fact that the primary governance of tobacco issues has been and continues to be located in the tobacco business. This has been and could continue to be the case for many years since the tobacco industry spends more money than national and supranational bodies on controlling tobacco governance. They also spend it using both legal and illegal means necessary to their objectives. They also spend it with monopolistic focus and agreement on core issues. In contrast, to believe that there is some kind of international, or even focused national governance of tobacco control is just not supported by the evidence. Many countries have no central organization to forward national tobacco control planning and policy, no plan for research, no systematic monitoring of even the most basic indicators of importance to tobacco control, and little or no money to fund tobacco control. And while the fact that the FCTC requires more from these nations, without adequate funding and sustained commitment, the lack of national governance is likely to continue and the chance of global governance to be only a remote dream. How does a country get the necessary money and the necessary commitment? Suppose you are from a poor country with a population of 25 million. What if you convinced society, including politicians and scientists that they need to immediately bring tobacco use to a very limited level? What if you could get $3 per person per year dedicated to this job through taxing the tobacco industry? If you had the money and the commitment, you could possibly make rapid progress through a comprehensive approach to governing tobacco supply and demand. Some countries have done so already. So where is the worldwide push and coordination for all countries to generate funding and political will? Until there is more effort in this direction, I doubt there will ever be a global governance system for tobacco control. Urgency is appropriate, but considering the historical record and present lack of money and commitment, I believe slow progress is more likely. I wish I were wrong. Stephen Hamann