The Secretariat of the WHO FCTC launches report on good practices to combat tobacco smuggling in free zones
With only a limited number of product inspections carried out inside free zones, many customs administrations now require that tobacco products carry a special declaration with detailed information that would enable joint investigations, effective risk management and electronic recordkeeping, as highlighted in a report published by the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
The report, Examples of current practices on the implementation of Article 12 (Free zones and international transit) of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, will be launched on 18 March 2021during a technical webinar sponsored by the Convention Secretariat.
The report focuses on implementation of Article 12 of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products , with a view to showcasing international good practices in the operation and control of free zones.
Joint statement by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Head of the Secretariat of WHO FCTC to Member States of the Region
Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean and Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC
2020 will be remembered as the year everything changed due to the COVID-19. Despite the pandemic, 17 countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region moved to ban tobacco use in public places in order to protect their populations from the unprecedented pandemic. For the first time, social norms on tobacco use are changing in favour of healthier behaviours, and, in turn, the Region is seeing a decline in tobacco use for the first time. But this momentum must be maintained throughout the pandemic and beyond if we are to sustain these health gains.
As part of the noncommunicable disease agenda, countries around the world have committed to reducing tobacco use by 30% by 2025. If action continues at its current pace, this target also may be achieved in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Tribute to Dr Tabaré Vázquez: Global Health Hero for a tobacco-free world
The legacy of Dr Tabaré Vázquez will keep us – the tobacco control community – moving forward, and more determined than ever, to protect present and future generations from the deadly harms of tobacco.
Dr Tabaré Vázquez, a husband, father, physician, oncologist and former two-time President of Uruguay, undertook groundbreaking work to place public health above political and economic interests, which led to a David vs. Goliath fight with the tobacco industry. He was a consummate defender of public health, with a personal commitment to improve the health and well-being of not only Uruguayans but of people from the Americas and beyond.
