TEHRAN – The Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted the “Declaration on WHO FCTC and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”, proposed by Iran.

The COP9 discussions, held on November 8 to 13, brought together Parties, representing countries, United Nations agencies, other intergovernmental organizations, and civil society to exchange experiences in implementing tobacco control measures and reducing the prevalence of tobacco use by looking at strategies that improve tobacco control efforts, amid attempts by the tobacco industry to interfere in ending the tobacco epidemic that is killing over 8 million people annually.

The event also saw the highest level of participation since the initiation of the COPs, as 161 Parties were present, confirming that most countries are committed to the UN public health treaty aimed at reducing death and disease caused by tobacco consumption.

Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, COP9 President to the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Convention on Tobacco Control said that in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, countries face a heavier, more sustained toll as a result of the tobacco epidemic.

Tobacco costs Iran 1.4 quadrillion rials (nearly $33.3 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) annually. And aware of the increased reports of tobacco industry interference, which acts as a barrier to effective implementation of the WHO FCTC, the declaration emphasizes the inherent and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.

It stresses the need to protect public health policy from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry, and to integrate tobacco control measures in our pandemic recovery efforts.

This multi-million-dollar plan is aimed at strengthening tobacco control efforts and providing much-needed financial support for the continued implementation of the Convention. It will be managed in association with the World Bank and with a dedicated oversight committee comprised of Parties and civil society organization observers to the COP, with the goal of strengthening the support for Parties’ tobacco control measures.

Tobacco imposes annual loss of $33b

Alireza Raeisi, the former deputy health minister, announced in May that estimates show that tobacco costs the country 1.4 quadrillion rials (nearly $33.3 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) annually.

Referring to the 40 percent increase in hookah consumption over the last eight years in the country, he stated that tobacco brings the country a loss of 1.4 quadrillion rials (nearly $33.3 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) annually, taking health costs into consideration.

Coronavirus has killed more than three million people in a year and a half, but smoking kills eight million people a year, and the tobacco mafia is still active, causing extensive damage to society, he lamented.

Aromatic tobacco is very dangerous and contains 7,000 chemicals, of which 70 are carcinogenic and 400 are toxic, he further noted.

In 2014, there were 7 tobacco production units, which increased to 23 units in 2020, showing that the number of these production units has quadrupled, he added.

FB/MG