M
ost of the world's countries gathered last October
for the latest round of negotiations of the WHO
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC). At this meeting, generally known as COP6 (for Sixth
Session of the Conference of the Parties), governments took
a number of decisions to tackle the tobacco epidemic and
reduce the global cancer toll.
A notable decision was the adoption of Guidelines for
implementation of the FCTC Article that addresses tax and
price measures to reduce tobacco use (Article 6). The
Guidelines are documents negotiated between all the
Parties to the FCTC that set out a consensus on how best to
implement a particular article of the FCTC. Article 6 of the
FCTC has unique significance. Tobacco taxation is an
essential part of comprehensive tobacco control, and it is
difficult to think of any jurisdiction that has managed to
substantially reduce tobacco consumption and prevalence
without substantially increasing prices. The adoption of
Article 6 Guidelines are important because it is the first time
that governments agreed on what makes good tobacco tax
policy. This makes the Guidelines an exceptionally good tool
for public health advocacy and action.
The Guidelines can be used to address some of the
difficulties health advocates find when promoting tobacco
tax increases. Many countries in the world have no
deliberate, explicit tobacco tax policy. The vast majority have
some form of tobacco tax, which is adjusted from time to
time depending on revenue needs and the strength of
tobacco industry lobbying. But few have any stated policy on
what they are trying to achieve with tobacco taxation - in
particular, how much of an impact they wish to have on
health. Through the adoption of the Article 6 Guidelines in
November 2014 countries agreed on a very important
concept: Every country should have a long-term tobacco tax
policy, including target tax rates tied to specific health
objectives. The Guidelines recommend that "Parties should
establish coherent long-term policies on their tobacco
taxation structure and monitor on a regular basis including
targets for their tax rates, in order to achieve their public
health and fiscal objectives within a certain period of time.
Tax rates should be monitored, increased or adjusted on a
regular basis, potentially annually, taking into account
inflation and income growth developments in order to
reduce consumption of tobacco products."
WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
ON TOBACCO CONTROL (FCTC):
THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES
LAURENT HUBER, DIRECTOR, ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES
AND HEALTH AND FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ALLIANCE
The sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP6) took place in Moscow, Russian Federation,
from 13 to 18 October 2014. The session was attended by the delegations of the 180 parties, as
well as the representatives of six states that are not party to the Convention, four intergovernmental
and ten nongovernmental organizations accredited as observers. Professor Chang jin Moon of the
Republic of Korea chaired the session in his capacity as President of the COP. The author outlines the
principle decisions taken and their likely impact.
REGIONAL INITIATIVES
118 CANCER CONTROL 2015
The Guidelines can be used to address
some of the difficulties health
advocates find when promoting
tobacco tax increases. Many countries
in the world have no deliberate, explicit
tobacco tax policy