Version 1997

L’ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE, INC ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL, INC
THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. INC.
B. P. 63 – 01212 FERNEY·VOLTAIRE Cedex, France
28, avenue des Alpes· 01210 FERNEY·VOLTAIRE. France
Telephone: 04 50 40 75 75
Fax : 04 50 40 59 37
November, 1997
PREAMBLE
Cable Address:
WOMEOAS. Ferney-Voltaire
10.30
Original: English
WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIAnON STATEMENT
on
HEALTH HAZARDS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Adopted by the 40th World Medical Assembly
Vienna, Austria, September 1988
and
amended by the 49th WMA General Assembly
Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
~’tlv”‘””””””’3 – ._ __. .-_.. _ ~. — -_ _ -”
Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
1. Three million deaths occur worldwide each year due to tobacco use. Unless the
current smoking trends are reversed the number of deaths due to the use of tobacco
is expected to rise to 10 million by the 2020’s or early 2030’s, and 70 per cent of
these will occur in developing countries. The global public health community,
through the World Health Organisation, has expressed increasing concern about this
alarming trend. Furthermore, irritating and harmful substances from smoking tobacco
may impose a health burden on non-smokers who are in proximity to smokers.
, . .
2. The tobacco industry claims that it is committed to determining the scientific truth
about the health effects of tobacco, both by conducting internal research and by
funding external research through jointly funded industry programmes. However, the
industry has consistently withheld and denied information concerning the deleterious
effects of tobacco smoking. For many years the industry has claimed that there is no
conclusive proof that smoking tobacco causes diseases such as cancer and heart
disease. It also claims that nicotine is not addictive. These claims have been
repeatedly challenged by the global medical profession, which because of this is
also resolutely opposed to the massive advertising campaigns mounted by the
industry and believes strongly that the medical associations themselves must give a
firm lead in the campaign against tobacco.
3. The tobacco industry and its subsidiaries have for many years supported research
and the preparation of reports. By being involved in such activities, individual
researchers and/or their organisations give the tobacco industry an appearance of
credibility even in cases where the industry is not able to use the results directly in
its marketing. Such involvement also raises major conflicts of interest with the goais
of health promotion.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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4. If they have not taken appropriate action already, the WMA urges the National Medical
Associations and all physicians to take the following actions to help reduce the health
hazards related to smoking and to other use of tobacco products: . .
(i) Adopt a policy position opposing smoking and the use of tobacco products, and
publicize the policy so adopted.
(ii) Prohibit smoking at all business, social, and ceremonial meetings of the National
Medical Association, in fine with the decision of the World Medical Association to
impose a similar ban at all its own such meetings.
(iii) Develop, support and participate in programs to educate the profession and the public
as to the health hazards of tobacco products. Educational programs directed
specifically at children and young adults to avoid the use of tobacco products are
particularly important. Programs for non-smokers and non-users of smokeless
tobacco products aimed at avoidance are as necessary as education aimed at
convincing smokers to cease the use of tobacco products.
(iv) Encourage individual physicians to be role models (by not using tobacco produl
and spokesmen for the campaign to educate the public about the deleterious effects
on health resulting from the use of tobacco products. Ask all hospitals and health
facilities to prohibit smoking on their premises. .
(v) Refrain from accepting any funding from the tobacco industry, and to urge medical
schools, research institutions and individual researchers to do the same, in order to
avoid giving any credibility to that industry.
(vi) Advocate the enactment and enforcement of laws that:
(vi) Advocate the enactment and enforcement of laws that:
a) require warnings about health hazards to be printed on all packages in which
tobacco products are sold and in all advertising and promotional materials for
tobacco products.
b) limit smoking in public buildings, commercial airliners, schools, hospitals, clinics
and other health facilities.
c) impose limitations on advertising and sales promotion of tobacco products. . e
d) ban all advertising and sales promotion of tobacco products, except at the point of
sale.
e) prohibit the sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products to children and
adolescents.
f) prohibit smoking on all commercial airline flights within national borders and on all
international commercial airline flights, and prohibit the sale of tax free tobacco
products at airports.
g) prohibit all governments subsidies for tobacco and tobacco products.
h) provide for research into the prevalence of use of tobacco products and the effect
of tobacco products on the health status of the population, and develop
educational programs for the public about the health hazards of tobacco use.
i) prohibit the promotion, distribution and sale of any new forms of tobacco products
that are not currently available.
j) increase taxation of tobacco products, using the increase revenues for health
care measures.
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