NEW YORK, NY (May 19, 2003) - The American Lung Association welcomes word from Geneva that the United States will support the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international tobacco treaty. In an apparent reversal of policy, Health and Hu

Secretary Thompson’s announcement comes after years of effort by the U.S., home to the world’s largest multinational tobacco manufacturers, to weaken the treaty. We fervently hope that this new stance involves no strings or conditions that could limit the scope of the treaty. Globally, tobacco use takes the lives of an estimated 5 million people each year. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control offers an unprecedented opportunity for the nations of the world to save lives instead of protecting the interests of Big Tobacco. The U.S. should now take the lead in urging other nations to completely and quickly implement the treaty to protect people everywhere from the scourge of tobacco use. Global public health demands no less.

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