Tobacco control in tobacco-producing countries.

Editor – Adamson Muula accurately points out the difficulties inherent in the control of tobacco use in a major tobacco leaf-producing country like Malawi (1). However, several statements need clarification. First of all, his title ''The challenges facing Third World countries in banning tobacco'' implies that the goal of tobacco control is to ban tobacco use. It is not. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank do not recommend a total ban on smoking, let alone a ban on the production of tobacco leaf. Rather, they advocate strong evidence-based demand-side measures such as increases in taxes, comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, smoke-free indoor air restrictions, and health information campaigns. Press-clippings originating from major tobacco-producing countries seem to indicate that the tobacco industry is once again deliberately misleading the public in pretending that the main objective of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), currently being negotiated under the auspices of WHO, is to ban tobacco farming. The following quotes illustrate such misrepresentation. ''African countries are in a dilemma whether to approve WHO's proposal calling for a ban on tobacco farming'' (2). ''Malawi has vowed to fight tooth and nail to protect its economic lifeline — tobacco — which is currently threatened by a mounting global anti-smoking lobby seeking to force cessation of production by 2003'' (3). It is also incorrect to state that countries benefit from the production of tobacco. The so-called financial or economic benefits are illusory in most countries: the loss of productivity and health care costs of premature morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use far outweigh the economic contribution tobacco may provide (4). Further, it should be reiterated that the negative impact of tobacco control on employment has been greatly overstated. In fact, statements that tobacco control will mean massive job losses are usually based on studies funded by the tobacco industry (5). That is not to say that, in a few countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe, tobacco does not play an important economic role. However, it is important to note that reduction in the demand for tobacco products will be gradual and decades will go by without any dramatic changes taking place. As the absolute number of smokers increases — because the global population increases — the continuity of a big enough market to keep the current generation of tobacco farmers in business is ensured. Any slowing down of demand will …