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TOBACCO-GROWING ZAMBIA BUCKS INDUSTRY INFLUENCE OVER HEALTH POLICY GROUPS, OFFICIALS MOVE TO RATIFY GLOBAL TOBACCO TREATY For Immediate Release: Contact: LUSAKA—This week, government officials, lawyers, doctors, journalists and non-profits are gathering at Mulungushi Village Complex in Zambia to discuss and draft tobacco control legislation. As a tobacco growing country, Zambia has yet to ratify the global tobacco treaty or enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation. But movement is afoot. “Zambia is on the front lines of the global campaign to challenge Big Tobacco," says Stacey Folsom from Boston-based Corporate Accountability International. "Giant transnationals like British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris/Altria are trying to convince policymakers that they represent the interests of Zambian farmers. Fortunately, those assembled are eager to expose the dangers of tobacco industry interference in health policy from aggressive industry lobbying to expensive public relations campaigns and lawsuits that block health initiatives.” And Zambian officials are ready to buck industry interference in policymaking as well, says Folsom. She is in Zambia this week with a small group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supported by the International Legal Consortium (ILC) of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in the United States, part of the Bloomberg Global Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. Representatives of the ministries of Health, Local Government and Housing, Justice, Commerce, Finance and the Human Rights Commission, will participate in workshops hosted by tobacco control groups. “The purpose of this workshop is to lay the groundwork for the passage of comprehensive tobacco control legislation in Zambia,” says Muyunda Ililonga of the Zambia Consumers Association, the group organizing the event. “The tobacco epidemic is one of the most critical issues facing Zambia today and unless we act, this problem will continue to devastate our communities.” Tobacco use is increasing in Zambia, particularly among children. A study just released by University of Zambia found that in the Congwe district of Lusaka, 37.2% of males under 12 and 20.7% of 13 year old females have smoked cigarettes. “We are also building momentum for Zambia to join the majority of countries by ratifying the global tobacco treaty,” Ililonga says. The centerpiece of global tobacco control policy is the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which has been ratified by over 150 countries, protecting more than 80% of the world’s people. Zambia is among a small minority of countries that have not yet ratified the treaty. Even in nearby South Africa, long a leader in tobacco control, corporations successfully lobbied for the exemption of certain tobacco products from current tobacco law. The two corporations involved, Swedish Match and British American Tobacco then sponsored a foreign junket to Sweden and the United Kingdom for more than 20 South African legislators. Still, Zambian non-profits and their international partners are optimistic about the process in Zambia. “Workshops like these are helping political leaders, legal experts, advocates and journalists strategize about how to challenge Big Tobacco," says Patricia Lambert, director of the International Legal Consortium. "It encourages them to move ahead with effective policy interventions—such as bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, protections from exposure to tobacco smoke, and strong health messages on tobacco packaging. Just as Africa played a lead role in negotiations on the global tobacco treaty, African nations now have an opportunity to enact powerful measures to protect their people from this preventable epidemic.” The Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) includes more than 100 NGOs from over 50 countries working for a strong, enforceable Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Zambia Consumers Association and Corporate Accountability International are members of NATT. Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For 30 years, we’ve forced corporations—like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria—to stop abusive actions. Corporate Accountability International, an NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), played a key role in development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) is a growing member organization that has protected the welfare of consumers across Zambia. # # # Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations -- like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria -- to stop abusive actions. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
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