FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE    Contact:  Bernadette  Tan,  0916-­‐3139794  

   Marysol  Balane,  0917-­‐8509212      

Health  groups  call  for  protection  against  tobacco  companies’  exploitation  of  tobacco  farmers      

September   18,   2014   -­‐  HealthJustice   Philippines   and   Southeast   Asia   Tobacco   Control   Alliance   urgently  calls  the  government  to  provide  much  needed  support  to  farmers  who  want  to  transition  from  planting  tobacco.      Shifting  to  alternative   livelihood  will  not  only  ensure  a  better   future   for   local   farmers,  but  will  also  be  consistent   with   the   Philippines’   international   obligation   under   the   World   Health   Organization  Framework  Convention  on  Tobacco  Control  (WHO  FCTC).  Articles  17  and  18  of  the  FCTC  obliges  Parties  to   to  provide   farmers  with  economically   sustainable  alternatives   to   tobacco   farming  and   to   safeguard  the  health  of  workers  and  the  environment  from  the  negative  effects  of  tobacco  farming.      Tobacco  Industry  exploits  farmers  The  majority  of  profits  from  tobacco  farming  go  to  leaf  buying  companies  and  cigarette  manufacturers,  while  many  farmers  and  farm  workers  find  themselves  poor  and  in  debt.1    Historically,   the   tobacco   industry  has  exploited   farmers   in   the  Philippines  and  around  by   the  world  by  encouraging   them   to   cultivate   tobacco   leaves   and   then   intentionally   keeping   prices   too   low   to   be  profitable.  These   low  prices  undermine  farmers’  bargaining  power,  causing  them  to  fall   into  a  cycle  of  debt  that  perpetuates  poverty.  2    Using  farmers  as  front  groups  The  tobacco  industry  has  a  history  of  using  front  groups  to  undermine  the  creation  and  passage  of  laws  that  aim  to  protect  against  public  health.3  Internal  industry  documents  reveal  that  International  Tobacco  Growers  Association  (ITGA)  was  a  public  relations  vehicle  created  by  the  industry  in  the  1980s  to  front  its  lobbying  against  international  tobacco  control  initiatives.4    It   is   no   secret   that   tobacco   companies   exert   support   from   various   tobacco   growers   and   their   labor  unions   to   oppose   any   form   of   regulation   that   may   weaken   the   production,   sale,   and   distribution   of                                                                                                  1  WHO  Tobacco  Industry  Interference  with  Tobacco  Control  2  Ghana  News  Agency,  “NGO  calls  on  tobacco  industry  to  stop  exploiting  farmers”,  http://www.ghananewsagency.org/social/ngo-­‐calls-­‐on-­‐tobacco-­‐industry-­‐to-­‐stop-­‐exploiting-­‐farmers-­‐78515  3  Campaign  for  Tobacco  Free  Kids,  Tobacco  Industry  Front  Group:  The  International  Tobacco  Growers  Association,  available  at  http://global.tobaccofreekids.org/files/pdfs/en/IW_interference_ITGA_fact_sheet.pdf  4  Southeast  Asia  Tobacco  Control  Alliance,  Tobacco  Industry  Front  Groups  and  Activities  

HEALTHJUSTICE PHILIPPINES  

 

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tobacco  products.   In  the  Philippines,  one  of  the  most  active  groups  that   lobby  against  tobacco  control  laws  is  the  Philippine  Tobacco  Growers  Association  (PTGA).  PTGA  is  a  member  of  ITGA.      Challenging  the  deadliest  industry  Over  17  million  Filipino  adults   today  smoke,  resulting  to  an  estimated  10  Filipinos  dying  every  hour  of  tobacco-­‐related  diseases.  Millions  of  families  fall  deeper  into  poverty  with  their  meager  resources  spent  on  cigarette  addiction  rather  than  food.    The  call  to  protect  the  welfare  of  farmers  comes  ahead  of  the  global  conference  on  tobacco  control  on  October   13-­‐18,   2014   in   Moscow   (Sixth   Session   of   the   Conference   of   the   Parties   to   the   Framework  Convention  on  Tobacco  Control  or  COP6).  Countries  that  ratified  the  WHO  FCTC  will  convene  to  work  on  a  global  strategy  to  safeguard  public  health  and  advance  life-­‐saving  tobacco  control  measures.      HealthJustice  and  SEATCA  are  calling  on  the  country’s  policymakers  to  ensure  that  the  protection  of  the  health   and  welfare  of   Filipinos,   not   the  business   and   commercial   interests  of   the   tobacco   companies,  remains  at   the   forefront  and   the  paramount  consideration  as   they  discuss   life-­‐saving  measures  at   the  global  conference.    

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_____________________      About  HealthJustice  HealthJustice  is  a  public  health  think  tank  that  aims  to  bridge  the  gap  between  health  and  law  to  empower  Filipinos  to  make   healthy   choices.   The   founding  members   of   HealthJustice   include   doctors,   lawyers,   and   economists  who  have  been  recognized  for  their  services  in  both  the  private  and  public  sector.  Armed  with  the  wealth  of  experience  in  promoting  policy  change  in  the  fields  of  health,  environment,  and  human  rights,  HealthJustice  serves  as  a  vehicle  for  Filipinos  to  be  free  from  health  risks  through  appropriate  health  policies.    HealthJustice  www.healthjustice.ph  facebook.com/healthjustice  twitter.com/healthjusticeph    Time's  Up,  Tobacco!  www.timesuptobacco.com  facebook.com/timesuptobacco  twitter.com/timesuptobacco