February 14, 2003

STATEMENT BY
HHS ASSISTANT SURGEON GENERAL
KEN BERNARD, M.D.

Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Regarding the Final Round of Negotiations

I am pleased that the United States and the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) are nearing completion on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international treaty to reduce the worldwide epidemic of tobacco use. Once adopted and in effect, the Framework Convention will be an important tool for mobilizing international collaboration to reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related death and disease worldwide.

Quitting smoking and tobacco use is one of the “Steps to a Healthier U.S.” that the President and I are asking Americans to adopt. Preventable diseases take a terrible toll, and tobacco use is one of the chief preventable causes of death in the world.

Worldwide, the WHO estimates that 4 million people are dying each year from their tobacco use, with trends indicating that toll will increase to more than 10 million a year over the next 30 years. In America, more than 400,000 people die each year from a smoking related disease - primarily lung cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease - resulting in expenditures of more then $75 billion annually in direct medical costs. Furthermore, women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have negative pregnancy outcomes, including babies with low birth weight, spontaneous abortion, stillbirths and neonatal mortality.

To combat the devastating health, economic and social consequences of worldwide tobacco consumption, the U.S. is fully engaged with the global community to produce a strong and dynamic Framework Convention - one that fosters international cooperation and one that will build upon the best programs in the U.S. and in other countries. As a world leader, the U.S. has called for several strong measures, including reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, prohibiting tobacco advertising and labeling that is false, misleading or deceptive and combating illicit tobacco trade or smuggling.

HHS is engaged in global tobacco initiatives across the department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health spearheads coordination efforts for the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, the largest school-based youth public health surveillance system in the world. Additionally, the office provides training and technical assistance to countries and regions in the design of effective prevention and control policies and programs.

In September 2002, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Fogarty International Center and eight partners announced the International Tobacco and Health Research Capacity Building Program, a recent initiative supporting 14 new research and training grants to combat the growing incidence of tobacco-caused illnesses and death in the developing world. Total funding will be approximately $20.5 million over the next five years.
NIH’s National Cancer Institute, the CDC and the Centre for Tobacco Prevention in Stockholm, Sweden, co-hosted the Third International Conference on Smokeless Tobacco in September 2002. The event allowed international experts to share global perspectives on smokeless tobacco use, nicotine addiction and global interventions and reduction policies.
Furthermore, HHS collaborates with the WHO and other international sports organizations on the Tobacco-Free Sports Initiative, a campaign that promotes sports and physical activity as a positive alternative to tobacco use among youth worldwide.

The Bush administration supports the cooperation generated by the Framework Convention, and we look forward to joining our international partners as we enter the final round of negotiations. Let’s continue our collective good work and continue the vision of a healthier global community.

Ken Bernard is the Chief U.S. Negotiator for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

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