Tobacco
industries disregard global treaty
By Bobby Ramakant
KATHMANDU
POST,
Nepal
Sunday 4 March 2007
****************
"Even
after ratification of FCTC by
Nepal
, Surya
Nepal
has been continuing to sponsor many
sport and entertainment programs, which is a blatant disregard of public
health treaty and the government's commitment to health"
NEPAL
: Despite the fact that
Nepal
has signed and ratified the first international treaty on public health and
corporate accountability, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC),
Nepali tobacco industries have been still violating several of its salient
features.
Surya Nepal, a company with largest stakes of
British American Tobacco (BAT) and ITC (Indian Tobacco Company - BAT's
Indian Subsidiary), has struck a 5-year deal of Rs
20 million with Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on January 10, 2007. FCTC
bans sponsorship of sports by tobacco industries.
There is enough evidence to substantiate
that sponsorship of sports by tobacco companies encourages youth to begin
tobacco use. Moreover violations of public health and corporate accountability
treaty, FCTC, by tobacco companies in
Nepal
, should be dealt with a stiff hand by the government.
Nepal
needs to do all what is possible to prevent its young people from tobacco
addiction.
Even after ratification of FCTC by
Nepal
, Surya
Nepal
has been continuing to sponsor many sport and entertainment programs, which is
a blatant disregard of public health treaty and the government's commitment to
health. For example Surya Lights Rhythm Nites was
sponsored on December 1, 2006, at the five-star Hotel Yak and Yeti and on
December 2, 2006 at Hotel Shangri-La at Pokhara;
Surya Lights Bollywood Temptations: Freedom of
Lights Musical Broadway show at five-star Hotel Hyatt Regency, Rox
Bar on December 31, 2006; and Surya Lights Nights on New Year Fiesta, at
Liquid Lounge, Lazimpat are only but a few
examples.
Such a breach of an international treaty
took place largely due to the lack of comprehensive national anti-tobacco
legislation in
Nepal
which should have been in place immediately after ratification of FCTC. There
are many scientific studies to show that such sponsorships by tobacco industry
have deleterious effect on teenagers and youngsters. ITC had tried to sponsor
Indian cricket in 1990's, which was challenged in the courts and subsequently
ITC had to step back from the sponsorship. After the sponsorship, scientific
studies on the effect of such sponsorships on youngsters were also conducted
and it was found out that due to the tobacco brand name "Wills" used
to sponsor the World Cricket Cup in 1996, 13% of the students felt the desire
to smoke after watching this cricket series.
The recent World Development Report 2007
indicates the tobacco use in adolescent (aged 13-15) are 15% (male) and 6%
(female) and the probability is that 15 years old tobacco smoker will die
before the age of 60 in Nepal. It has also recorded that 2.5% adolescents in
the age-group of 13-15 were offered free cigarette by tobacco company
representatives in eastern
Nepal
. Similarly, 30% children and 38% adolescents are exposed to second-hand smoke
in home alone.
In the light of such scientific studies and
as per
Nepal
's commitment under FCTC, we hope that the government will strike off the deal
between the Cricket Association of Nepal and tobacco industries, and hold them
accountable for the violations as well.
(The
author represents
Asia
on Coordination Committee of Global Youth Advocacy Network, and Network for
Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT).
He can be contacted at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)