The Straits Times, Published on May 26, 2014
Tobacco fair contradicts anti-smoking
efforts
WORLD No Tobacco Day is coming up on May 31, but there is little
reason for cheer.
One of the largest trade fairs in the tobacco
industry, the World
Tobacco Asia 2014, is set to take place in Singapore in
November, after being rejected by
Indonesia.
As a party to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Singapore is required to meet
its obligations under Article 13 of the FCTC.
The WHO states that a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising,
promotion and sponsorship should cover:
- All advertising and promotion, as well as sponsorship, without
exception;
- Acts that aim at promotion and acts that have, or are likely to
have, a promotional effect;
- Promotion of tobacco products and the use of tobacco;
- Commercial communications and commercial recommendations and
actions;
- Advertising and promotion of tobacco brand names and all
corporate promotion.
Holding the fair would result in Singapore contravening the above
obligations under Article 13.
After successfully hosting the World Conference on Tobacco or
Health in 2012 and pledging to reduce smoking prevalence to below
10 per cent by 2020, staging the tobacco industry's trade show here
would be absurd.
The fair is not a closed-door event accessible exclusively to
industry players. Members of the public would inadvertently be
exposed to otherwise banned tobacco advertising.
How can the Health Sciences Authority ensure that tobacco products
which are prohibited in Singapore would not be imported, promoted
and given out as samples at the fair?
How can the authorities prevent such illegal products from being
surreptitiously sold here after the trade show ends?
The Government must remain resolute in its stand against tobacco
and protect Singaporeans from all forms of tobacco promotion
without exception.
Liu I-Chun (Ms)
Copyright © 2014 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights
reserved.
Tobacco fair contradicts anti-smoking efforts
"If the annual salary of
the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only
$500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with
media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not
listen to the minister's ideas and proposals. Hence, a reasonable
payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity."
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fixing opposition parties; actually just creating an authoritarian
monolithic political state, with little or no political
vibrancy/choice...
(YouTube;
LHL: "fix the opposition")