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Starting tomorrow, Monday, Panama will host the Tenth World Conference on Tobacco Control, in a context in which manufacturers are trying to attract more users, especially young people, through new highly addictive products. In this context, former Chilean Deputy Minister of Health Ricardo Fabrega told Agence France-Presse that "smoking receives little attention compared to the many harms it causes."

Fabrega - who is also dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Santo Tomas de Santiago - added that in addition, there is "an industry specialized in encouraging (tobacco) consumption at a very young age."

Delegates from more than 180 countries will participate in this conference, which will focus on tobacco advertising and new products. Such as: electronic cigarettes, which are very popular among young people.

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco currently kills more than 8 million people every year around the world, including 1.3 million people who are exposed to passive smoking.

Experts say that smoking control is not happening as it should. According to the World Health Organization, the tobacco industry is targeting minors with new, highly addictive products.

The organization indicated last January that the number of adult smokers around the world has declined steadily in recent years.

In 2022, one in 5 adults in the world smoked or consumed tobacco derivatives, compared to one in 3 20 years ago, according to the organization.

However, the tobacco industry is using “criminal efforts” to undermine this progress and attract young people, WHO Director of Health Promotion Rudiger Kresch said earlier this month.

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But even if the number of smokers continues to decline, the organization estimates that the goal of reducing tobacco consumption by 30% between 2010 and 2025 will not be achieved.

Ricardo Fabrega pointed out that among the measures necessary to reduce tobacco consumption are increasing taxes, restricting and regulating advertising, and limiting consumption in public places, educational and health institutions, and in the workplace.

On the eve of the meeting, the conference secretariat expressed its concern after “some parties received calls from representatives of the tobacco industry and other industries to provide technical support and travel assistance.”

On its website, it stated “the inherent and conflicting conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and the interests of public health policy.”

The tenth conference of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was scheduled for November 2023 but was postponed due to protests that paralyzed Panama for weeks demanding the closure of a copper mine.

The main meeting will be followed by talks on eliminating the trade in illegal tobacco products, which are scheduled to be attended by about 70 countries.

This "Protocol", in force since September 2018, is part of the Framework Convention and aims to put an end to the illegal manufacture and smuggling of tobacco products.

The two meetings will be held in a conference center located on the edge of the Panama Canal.

Source: French