World Heart Federation
Return to index

STOPPING ILLICIT TRADE IN TOBACCO

Smuggling and other forms of illicit trade weaken the impact of tobacco-control measures that protect health. They also cost governments billions of dollars in lost revenue and help finance organized crime and terrorism. To tackle the problem, some 130 countries party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) met on 29 June−5 July to continue negotiation on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco.

Costs of illicit trade: lives and dollars

By making cheap cigarettes available illegally, illicit trade makes them easier to buy - especially for children and youth, women, and people with low incomes. It therefore threatens to undermine the benefit of tobacco taxes that are one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce smoking prevalence. “Price has its greatest impact on decisions about whether to start smoking, so its impact on mortality is delayed” explained Luk Joossens, co-author of a report released just before the negotiations. The report calculates that illicit trade in tobacco results in governments losing $40.5 billion in revenue each year (see link below). “If we eliminated illicit trade now, from 2030 on we would save over 160,000 lives a year, most of them in developing and middle-income countries. That is a million lives every six years”, he concluded.

Framework Convention Alliance: working to make a strong treaty

Over 70 non-government organizations observed negotiation of the treaty under the umbrella of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), a network of over 350 organizations working on the development, ratification, and implementation of the FCTC. FCA members came to Geneva from countries around the world, working together from early in the morning to late at night to observe negotiations, lobby delegations, share information on progress and develop strategies to help make the treaty a strong and effective tool for action.

Delay costs lives

As treaty negotiations opened, FCA members’ highlighted lives cost by delays in implementing tobacco control, unveiling a “death clock” that ticks off another life every 6 seconds to count lives lost to tobacco since negotiations for the FCTC began. Speaking at the ceremony, FCA Chair Mary Assunta pointed out that “cigarettes are the world’s most widely smuggled legal consumer product, with about 650 billion sticks escaping regulatory systems.” Reminding delegates from around the world that every second spent on needless arguing costs lives, she urged them to “strengthen weak text, clarify ambiguities…find solutions rather than focus on difficulties…and look for common ground.” When the clock was unveiled it showed over 43 million deaths; FCA members speaking all six UN official languages brought home the gravity of the problem by laying white orchids before the clock.

Multisectorial cooperation

For Wayne Hunte from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados, the negotiations presented the first opportunity to work with the FCA team and be involved in the development of an international treaty. “At work I concentrate on ways to reduce demand for tobacco, which is what we are more used to doing in the health sector” he commented, “but here we are looking at the issue from the supply side for a change. It is very technical and I am not so used to working with customs officials and law enforcement, or seeking expertise from industry like airlines…it is very interesting…a new perspective on improving health.”

Marking progress

In an ongoing tradition FCA produced daily news bulletins, which included the announcement of “orchid” awards for delegations or other groups that made a contribution to advancing progress toward a strong treaty, and “ashtray” awards to those that slowed them down. “Now is the time to act: the case for coordinated worldwide action against tobacco smuggling and other forms of illicit trade in tobacco has never been stronger,” concluded FCA Director Laurent Huber."

Read further information on the protocol:

top of the page