Global Tobacco Treaty

This is an amazing development:

Key requirements of treaty

* Ban tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion, where constitutions allow, within five years.

* Tobacco packaging must include health warnings covering at least 30% of packet within 3 years.

* Introduce measures to protect people from second-hand tobacco smoke in public places.

* Draw up strategies to combat smuggling.

* Adopt tax policies which discourage smoking .

Hmmmm, I wonder why the US has not ratified this treaty: the UK, Australia, and India have, along with close to 60 other countries. The current US administration doesn't exactly have a track record of: (a) being cooperative with international bodies, (b) reining in Corporate influence. The key requirements look so reasonable, this should be a no-brainer. Even if you ignore the obvious benefits, consider how not signing, impacts future Medicare and Health care costs, and how those increase the budget deficit. Corporate and Business leaders, outside of the tobacco industry, should be up in arms.

So, why hasn't the U.S. ratified?

After the American government sabotaged its own six-year tobacco industry lawsuit last spring, the answer became painfully clear: "Big tobacco" still has a stranglehold on top-level U.S. officials. Big tobacco and its executives reported $3.7 million in political contributions during the 2004 election cycle and more than $45 million over the past decade.

And as we know from the past six decades of tobacco industry deceit, reported political contributions are only the tip of the iceberg.

While the majority of the world moves forward with this historic victory for health and corporate accountability, the U.S. remains on the sidelines, giving in to its deadly tobacco addiction.