{"id":12327,"date":"2016-11-12T21:04:01","date_gmt":"2016-11-12T21:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=12327"},"modified":"2016-11-12T21:04:01","modified_gmt":"2016-11-12T21:04:01","slug":"180-countries-adopt-landmark-public-health-decisions-to-hold-tobacco-industry-legally-liable-for-tobacco-harms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=12327","title":{"rendered":"180 countries adopt landmark public health decisions: To hold tobacco industry legally liable for tobacco harms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5402\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-12272\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"tobacco-india\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1-272x182.jpg 272w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1.jpg 922w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5417\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5418\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><b id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5419\">GREATER NOIDA, INDIA<\/b>\u2014After one week of heated negotiations and intrigues, governments representing nearly more than 90 percent of the world\u2019s population who attended the seventh session of the World Health Organization\u2019s global tobacco treaty negotiations in New Delhi adopted policies that will protect public health over the narrow interests of the tobacco industry.<\/span><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=11565&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5421\" dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5423\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5424\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">These include tools to hold Big Tobacco legally liable for the harms of its products, recover healthcare costs, facilitate access to justice for victims of tobacco-related disease, and safeguard public health policymaking from the industry at the national level.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5426\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5427\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\"><\/span><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5429\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Governments unanimously adopted the suite of public health measures over the objections of the tobacco industry. Throughout the negotiations to the treaty, formally the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the industry tried to undermine the talks via government delegations, industry front groups, lobbying, and other means. Despite these tactics, governments adopted decisions, like advancements on legal liability, that could provide precedent for holding other industries accountable for the environmental and public health harms they cause.<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5433\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5434\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u201cThe tobacco industry is the single largest barrier to tobacco control policies globally\u2014and these negotiations were no exception,\u201d said John Stewart, deputy campaigns director at Corporate Accountability International. \u201cWe applaud the delegates that stood up to the industry and rejected their rhetoric. It is thanks to them that governments have now adopted some of the strongest measures yet to protect millions of people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5436\" dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5438\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5439\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">At the negotiations which held 7-<span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_2009647796\"><span class=\"aQJ\">12 November 2016<\/span><\/span>, governments agreed to expand the expertise and case studies available to file legal and civil suits against Big Tobacco. The decision, which advances Article 19 of the global tobacco treaty, opens the door for governments to sue the industry and recoup millions of dollars for the health care costs associated with tobacco use. It could also provide precedents for people to pursue legal liability for other industries that affect public health and the environment, like the fossil fuel industry. To date, a handful of countries have utilized the principles contained in Article 19. For instance, Canadian smokers recently won a $15 billion payout from the industry, after an historic 17-year legal suit.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5443\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5444\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u201cAt these negotiations, governments said \u2018enough is enough\u2019 when it comes to tobacco industry interference in their public health policies,\u201d said Philip Jakpor, Nigeria spokesperson of Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT). \u201cTogether, they advanced policies that will push Big Tobacco out of the way, and let public officials do their jobs: saving people&#8217;s lives.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5446\" dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5448\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5449\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u201cFor years, the tobacco industry has intimidated countries with threats of legal suits for their common-sense public health laws,\u201d said Hellen Neima, tobacco control advocate from Uganda. \u201cAt these negotiations, governments set the stage for the kinds of legal challenges that have the potential to bankrupt the tobacco industry in the years to come.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5451\" dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5453\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5454\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Governments also advanced policies to protect public health policymaking from the tobacco industry. The decision, which advances the backbone of the global tobacco treaty known as Article 5.3, will establish a centralized knowledge hub for research and expertise on Big Tobacco\u2019s attempts to water-down policies related to tobacco control. It directly addresses the industry\u2019s long history of interference in public health. For instance, last year, a British American Tobacco whistleblower revealed that the corporation had bribed an FCTC official to represent its interests at negotiations for the Illicit Trade Protocol.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5456\" dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5458\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5459\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Additional outcomes included<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5463\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5464\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u2022ensuring that the FCTC Secretariat joins the UN treaty on Business and Human Rights as an observer;<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5468\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5469\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u2022advancements to the Illicit Trade Protocol and protections against the industry\u2019s use of trade and investment partnerships to undermine public health laws.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5473\"><span id=\"m_-458413976542670772yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478954595619_5474\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u2022Indentifying and advancing means to strengthen implementation of the treaty at the national level.<\/span><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=11565&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; GREATER NOIDA, INDIA\u2014After one week of heated negotiations and intrigues, governments representing nearly more than 90 percent of the world\u2019s population who attended the seventh session of the World Health Organization\u2019s global tobacco treaty negotiations in New Delhi adopted policies that will protect public health over the narrow interests of the tobacco industry. These [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[944,2197],"class_list":["post-12327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","tag-framework-convention-on-tobacco-control","tag-philip-jakpor"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Tobacco-India-1.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-3cP","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12327"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12328,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12327\/revisions\/12328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}