Resolutions of 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT12)

RESOLUTIONS of THE 12th APACT CONFERENCE Bali, Indonesia; 12-15 Sept 2018

Conference theme: “Tobacco Control for Sustainable Development Goals: Ensuring A Healthy Generation”
We, the participants of 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT12), representing 28 countries, are deeply concerned that the Asia-Pacific region faces the onslaught of the tobacco epidemic, which claims several million lives every year. The tobacco industry has targeted the region to promote and sell even more tobacco and grow its business, and this is a big threat to public health. The tobacco industry is part of the problem and not the solution. We condemn the tobacco industry’s tactics to undermine, delay, obstruct and dilute public health efforts. Tobacco touches most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Asia Pacific region needs to step-up efforts to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs and the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
These recommendations follow the numbering of the SDGs:

1. SDG #1 (No poverty) and FCTC Article 6 (Price measures): To make tobacco less affordable particularly to youth and the poor, and to help tobacco users quit, by increasing tax to a minimum of 75% of retail price on all tobacco products.
2. SDG #2 (Zero hunger) and FCTC Article 17 (Tobacco farming): To address hunger by growing food in place of tobacco. At least ten countries will put in place definite plans to shift tobacco growers to growing more food crops. Use of child labour in tobacco cultivation must be eliminated by 2025. We call upon the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to end its collaboration with the tobacco industry immediately to align with the decision of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
3. SDG #3 (Good health and well-being) and FCTC: To protect the health and economic wellbeing of its people and to align with the rest of Asia Pacific region, Indonesia to ratify the WHO FCTC within one year.
4. SDG #3 (Good health and well-being) and FCTC Article 11 (Packaging and labelling): All countries should adopt prominent graphic pack warnings, and ban pack displays at retail outlets within the next 2 years. A minimum of 8 countries in the region to introduce plain packaging.
5. SDG #3 (Good health and well-being) and FCTC Article 13 (Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) Ban): To ban the use of social media to boost their image and sales.
6. SDG #4 (Quality Education) and FCTC Article 12 (Education and research): To strengthen and resource public education so that all the public are aware of the harm of tobacco and including information on cessation.
7. SDG #5 (Gender equality) and FCTC 4.2d (Gender specific measures): To end the targeting of girls by the tobacco industry by TAPS, packaging and product design. All tobacco control measures to incorporate gender specific perspectives.
8. SDG #11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and FCTC Article 8 (Smoke Free environment): To ensure sustainable and clean cities, and to protect the public from exposure to tobacco smoke, each jurisdiction should adopt 100% smoke-free policies in all workplaces and public places, and to adopt effective enforcement strategies to ensure compliance.
9. SDG #13 (Climate action) and FCTC Article 18 (Protection of the environment): We recommend the 13th APACT to include debate and discussion on the environmental harms caused by tobacco.
10. SDG #16 (Peace and justice) and FCTC Article 5.3 (Protecting public policy from tobacco industry interference): To prohibit the tobacco industry from influencing the implementation of SDGs. Consistent with FCTC Articles 5.3 and the implementing guidelines, each state should monitor, expose and ban tobacco industry, their allies and front groups from participating in tobacco control policy development.
11. SDG #17 (Partnership) and FCTC Article 5.3 3 (Protecting public policy from tobacco industry interference): Partnership with the tobacco industry is detrimental to all SDGs and the FCTC. To ensure good governance, governments, scientists, research entities, and civil society organizations must reject or terminate all partnerships or support from the tobacco industry, including the Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smoke-free World, and other initiatives of the tobacco industry. Governments should not promote tobacco trade and also should divest from tobacco businesses.
12. SDG #17 (Partnership) and FCTC Article 26 (Sustainable financial mechanism for tobacco control): Government should prioritize sustainable funding for tobacco control.
13. There is an irreconcilable conflict between the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and the right to health. We adopt the Cape Town Declaration on Human Rights and a Tobacco-free World.
14. Towards tobacco free generation: To empower youth involvement and advocacy as a means to achieving a tobacco-free generation.

APACT 12th Youth Vision: Choose Youth Not Tobacco!

APACT12

The 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco (APACT12th)