Urge the U.S. government to ratify the world's first international health treaty!
What is the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)?The FCTC is a legally binding treaty which was negotiated by the 192 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO). The world's first public health treaty, the FCTC contains a host of measures designed to reduce the devastating health and economic impacts of tobacco. The final agreement, reached in May 2003 after nearly four years of negotiations, provides the basic tools for countries to enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation. Key provisions in the treaty encourage countries to:
- Enact comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship;
- Obligate the placement of rotating health warnings on tobacco packaging that cover at least 30 percent (but ideally 50 percent or more) of the principal display areas and can include pictures or pictograms;
- Ban the use of misleading and deceptive terms such as "light" and "mild";
- Protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places;
- Combat smuggling, including the placing of final destination markings on packs; and
- Increase tobacco taxes
