ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the key elements of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) that was adopted by the WHO Member States in 2003 and came into force in 2005. The WHO FCTC was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and its large negative socioeconomic impact, as demonstrated by the World Bank and others in the 1990s, as well as significant advocacy from civil society. It is the first public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO and has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in UN history with over 180 Parties. The WHO FCTC includes a number of measures to reduce the demand and supply of tobacco and its products. The chapter describes the Treaty’s provisions that include rules that govern the production, sale, distribution, advertisement and taxation of tobacco, among others. The chapter also describes the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and issues around novel and emerging tobacco products and nicotine products. The chapter concludes with a description of the implications of the WHO FCTC and the Protocol for policymakers and practitioners.
