Press release

For immediate release

Weds 2 August 2000

Tobacco industry infiltration ofUN:  ASH calls on WHO to tackle thecompanies responsible

Reacting to the publication today of important newevidence of systematic efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO), campaign group Action on Smoking and Health iscalling on the WHO to demand written assurances from the companies that suchpractices have now ceased.

Citing tobacco industry documents released during litigationin the United States, the report (1) details how multinational tobaccocompanies, such as British American Tobacco and Philip Morris, worked for yearsto discredit the WHO and subvert its programmes aimed at curbing smoking around the world.

ASH  Director,Clive Bates, said: “WHO must now follow up this hard hittingreport with determined action to stop the industry in its tracks.  The Director-General, Dr Brundtland, shouldwrite to the Chief Executives at BAT and Philip Morris asking them to givewritten guarantees that their underhand tactics will not continue into thefuture.  The Heads of other UN agenciesaffected should follow her lead.  Inparticular the tobacco industry must be asked to state unequivocally that noone employed directly or indirectly by them is still also working for the UN”.

Emma Must, International Campaign Manager, added:  “Now that light has beenshed on the tobacco industry's shady practices, health campaigners will haveextra ammunition to press for a new global tobacco control treaty (2). Thetreaty is urgently needed: without it, the annual global death toll due tosmoking related diseases will reach 10 million by 2030, with 70% of thesedeaths being borne by developing countries.”

Notes to editors

(1)   Thereport, entitled “Tobacco company strategies to undermine tobacco controlactivities at the World Health Organisation”, was written by a committee ofexperts convened by the Director-General of WHO in October 1999. Thefullreport is available on the WHO website at www.who.int

(2)   Furtherinformation on the treaty, called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,is available on the WHO website at www.who.intor on the ASH website at www.ash.org.uk/?international

For further information contact:

Clive Bates, Director +44 (0) 20 7739 5902 (w);077 6879 1237 (m)

Emma Must, International Campaign Manager +44 (0)20 7739 5902 (w)