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India has reaffirmed its commitment to a World Health Organisation (WHO) tobacco control treaty, despite lobbying from its $11bn industry that opposes some measures in the treaty that will be discussed at a conference next week.
Delegates from about 180 countries will attend the November 7-12 conference near New Delhi on the only global anti-tobacco treaty, called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The treaty aims to deter tobacco use that kills about 6mn people a year, including about a million in India.
Reuters reported last week that tobacco industry groups were lobbying the government with letters and signature campaigns to safeguard the interest of farmers and to ensure that no “unreasonable” proposals are adopted at the conference.
The Tobacco Institute of India (TII), the cigarette industry body, said in a September 28 letter to the government that “there is no obligation on any signatory to the FCTC” to comply with its provisions.
The government response to those letters has not been made public but on Tuesday, the health ministry published half-page notices in several newspapers to say India would apply the treaty’s provisions.
“India reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of WHO FCTC,” the ministry said in the notice, that included a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The government said in the notice that tobacco “drains the economy” of nearly $16bn a year.
The TII, which represents cigarette makers including ITC, part-owned by British American Tobacco, and Philip Morris International’s local partner, Godfrey Phillips, declined to comment about the government notice.
Last week, tobacco farmers protested outside the health ministry and the WHO regional office in New Delhi asking the government to boycott the conference.
More than 100,000 farmers also sent the government a petition seeking protection from FCTC rules.
Tobacco groups want India to include farmers in its official delegation.
A health ministry official said last week the government would not agree to their requests.
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