World cracks down on Big Tobacco

In Hong Kong, the dance CDs put out by Marlboro could soon disappear. In Vietnam, umbrellas with "Salem attitude" painted across them may be sent to the trash. The cafes in Kiev that sport the Camel logo will probably have to change their names. And forget about those ads for Philip Morris super lights attached to airline tickets in the Czech Republic.

These are just some of the ways the advertising and marketing of tobacco may be about to change. Wednesday, in a landmark move, health officials from 192 nations unanimously approved a global health treaty - the first of its kind - that could change the face of the global tobacco industry.

To slow the spread of smoking, especially in poor nations, where smoking rates are soaring, the World Health Organization in Geneva voted for unprecedented and potentially deep restrictions on tobacco products.

The accord must still be implemented by governments worldwide, which must pass laws regulating everything from the size of health warnings (no less than 30 percent of the size of a pack) to restrictions on secondhand smoke.

It could mean some nations will ban the terms "light" or "low tar" as misleading. It encourages higher taxes to prevent children from smoking. And all those slick marketing efforts - from slinky models in magazines to sponsorship of race cars - could be history.

"This treaty has the potential to save literally tens of millions of lives over the next 25 years," says Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The treaty, called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is controversial within the tobacco industry itself. Altria, the parent of Philip Morris, says it is in favor of the new treaty. "What we hope and expect is that this treaty can be a catalyst in every country that signs on for meaningful and effective treatment of tobacco," says Mark Berlind, associate general counsel for Altria.

But British American Tobacco, the parent of US-based Brown & Williamson, said in a statement it had "mixed" views of the treaty. The British company likes the strong provisions against smuggling and counterfeiting of cigarettes. But, it denounces the ban on advertising since it says consumers will not be able to get information on potentially safer cigarettes under development.

The treaty has been under negotiation for the last three years. During much of that time, the US was perceived as being against a tough crackdown. Kathryn Mulvey, executive director of In fact, an activist nongovernmental organization that lobbied for passage of the FCTC, termed the US position as "obstructionist."

By Saturday, the US was the last holdout and finally decided to back the treaty. Wednesday, at the WHO in Geneva, Tommy Thompson, secretary of health and human services, said "This is an outstanding day when you can stand up and make a step forward for public health."

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