Panama City, Panama – A global anti-tobacco meeting is set to take place in Panama on Monday, aimed at addressing the harmful consequences of smoking, as tobacco companies aggressively pursue new users, particularly children, with addictive products.
Delegates from over 180 countries will convene in Panama City for the biennial meeting, which will focus on key issues such as tobacco advertising and sponsorship, as well as the rise of new tobacco products like electronic cigarettes.
While the number of smokers worldwide has been steadily declining, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued a warning, stating that major tobacco companies are actively targeting young people. The global tobacco epidemic claims the lives of more than eight million people annually, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke, according to WHO statistics.
The UN agency stressed that although smoking rates are dropping, it will take several decades for the number of tobacco-related deaths to decline significantly.
Chile’s former deputy health minister, Ricardo Fabrega, commented on the issue, stating that smoking causes significant harm but receives relatively little attention because its impact is primarily long-term. Governments tend to focus on more immediate concerns. Fabrega, who is also the dean of Santo Tomas University in Santiago, added that there is an entire industry dedicated to enticing individuals to consume tobacco products at a very young age.
Originally scheduled for November 2023, the tenth meeting (COP10) of parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was postponed due to widespread protests in Panama demanding the closure of a copper mine.
The FCTC, a treaty aimed at controlling and regulating tobacco consumption, came into force two decades ago. Following the main meeting, discussions on the elimination of illegal tobacco products will be held, with around 70 countries expected to participate.
However, prior to the meeting, the convention secretariat expressed concerns about conflicts of interest, as some parties have been approached by representatives from the tobacco and other industries, offering travel and technical support, including advisors.
According to the WHO, approximately one in five adults worldwide were smokers or consumed other tobacco products in 2022, compared to one in three in 2000. A recent report by the WHO revealed that 150 countries have successfully reduced tobacco use through regulation, high taxes, and other measures between 2000 and 2030.
Despite these efforts, Ruediger Krech, director of the WHO’s health promotion department, recently warned that the tobacco industry is employing unethical tactics to undermine progress and attract young people. Concerns are mounting over the increasing risk of teenagers becoming addicted to nicotine through flavored disposable vapes, marketed as candy-like products with flavors such as chocolate and bubblegum.
Originally considered a tool to help individuals quit smoking, electronic cigarettes themselves have proven to be addictive, with an estimated 82 million users in 2021, according to the US NGO Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction.
In response to these concerns, the UK, France, Germany, and Belgium are all actively pursuing bans on disposable e-cigarettes.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
