GENEVA (Reuters) - Anti-smoking groups on Wednesday warned the World Health Organisation and its member states to be alert to tobacco industry tactics to stall efforts to wean the world off smoking.

"We are finding that the tobacco industry's activities, both at the national level and globally, to interfere in public health policy are escalating," Kathryn Mulvey of US corporate accountability group Infact told a news conference. She referred to a report by Infact and the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) that gave examples of lobbying by the industry that, the groups say, is an attempt to "subvert" public health policy. "The tobacco industry is ruthless in pursuit of profit. In the face of tremendous pressure from tobacco giants, public health and corporate accountability advocates must be steadfast in their pursuit of a strong treaty," said Bejon Misra of India's Consumer VOICE, a member of NATT. The report said a tobacco company representative tried to contact a Zambian delegate during a previous round of tobacco talks and alleged that firms had set up an association to take part in national treaty preparations. It also criticised the industry for its charitable donations and other sponsorship, which it described as "unparliamentary lobbying." The groups' comments come as WHO and its 191 member nations continue a fourth round of talks on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), designed to curb the spread of tobacco-related disease that, WHO says, kills eight people every minute. It predicts that by 2030, such diseases will claim the lives of 10 million people each year. WHO has already agreed with its members that they should disclose ties between delegates and the tobacco industry and that WHO should monitor the industry's activities. "...Rather than changing its behaviour, the tobacco industry continues to engage in activity to undermine tobacco control initiatives. The FCTC has become a particular focus of concern of the tobacco transnationals," the report said. Mulvey urged member states to agree to language in the treaty that would protect against industry attempts to influence policy, but noted that the United States and Japan, home to large tobacco firms, were against such measures.

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