In celebration of the 'World No Tobacco Day' last Sunday, May 31, the United Nations and World Health Organization called for stopping illegal trades of cheaper tobacco to limit cigarette smoking and save more lives.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the World Health Organization's Framework on Tobacco Control can "eradicate the illicit trade in cheaper tobacco products which tend to lure younger and poorer groups into addiction while depleting the ability of States to charge taxes that could support health services."
The annual celebration that advocates reduction of tobacco consumption all over the world encourages UN member states to sign up for the Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
Through this partnership, the government of each participating state will have tighter control over illegal tobacco trade, collect bigger taxes from tobacco companies, and finance public services like social and health programs.
In the WHO press release, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan stated this protocol "offers the world a unique legal instrument to counter and eventually eliminate a sophisticated criminal activity."
Chan added that when fully implemented, this will "replenish government revenues and allow more spending on health."
WHO reports that the countries that already signed the protocol are Austria, the Congo, Gabon, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Spain, Turkmenistan and Uruguay. They added that for this protocol to become an international law, a total of 40 countries should express their support.
The WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which started in 2005, continues to fight against tobacco use, which has killed 100 million people in 20th century. The organization added that in the 21st century, 1 billion people will die if the wide tobacco consumption goes on.
Killing six million people a year, tobacco consumption leads to cigarette-related heart and lung illnesses attained by both heavy cigarette smokers and frequent second-hand smokers.
