Health
Australia Leads Fight With Big Tobacco
The combative head of the World Health Organisation has lauded the imminent plain packaging laws for Big Tobacco as the forefront on the war against the 20th century’s biggest killer. She told The World Conference on Tobacco or Health met in Singapore yesterday:
The success in Australia is going to be the success of the world; it has to be a success because many countries are looking to Australia for leadership and inspiration.
The 20th century saw more than 100 million deaths in the world that can be directly related to smoking. This staggering figure is higher than the deaths from war, and forecasts predict this figure could be closer to a billion in the 21st century.
Australian laws for mandatory plain packaging come into force in December in Australia, and we are the first country to introduce such draconian action. The world will be watching because it is certain that Big Tobacco will use their significant resources to mount numerous legal challenges, with three case already before the courts in Australia.
Philip Morris Australia, which was bought by Phillip Morris Asia in February 2011, has fired the first shot by filing a suit against the legislation on the grounds that it violated a trade agreement with Hong Kong.
They are being supported by British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and JT International indicating that Big Tobacco will unite in the fight for their survival.
Mike Daube, director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute and recipient of the American Cancer Society’s Luther L Terry distinguished career award, has outlined Australia’s declining smoking rate. He estimates that only 5 per cent of Australians will smoke by 2025, significantly down 30% in 1989.
The World Health Organisation is playing support role for the expected worldwide legal challenges, and has built up a significant war chest. Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have together contributed over $600 million to the effort.
Tagged big tobacco, WHO
