Declaration of Ukrainian Parliament on the occasion of 10 years since Ukraine ratified WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

On March 2006 Ukraine ratified WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), first obliging global health treaty. It is difficult to overestimate the meaning of this unique global document as for the world so for Ukrainian community.

FCTC is first international binding treaty under the aegis of WHO that includes over 180 countries with about 90% of the global population. During last decade FCTC became an efficient tool for public health protection, which allowed Parties to achieve significant success in tobacco control (TC).

According to the WHO FCTC Secretariat, for last 10 years:

80% of countries strengthened TC legislation;

price of a cigarette pack increased for 150% on average.

many countries use graphical medical warnings about health hazard caused by smoking which cover 65-85% of pack area; a couple of countries implemented ‘brand’pack;

majority of countries banned smoking in close spaces and public areas which confirms the norm of social impercipience of smoking;

some countries set clear strategical aim to become free of tobacco due to reducing smoking prevalence up to 5%.

At this struggle for a person’s right for health, Ukraine demonstrated considerable progress which allowed to stop tobacco epidemic in the country. Since the moment of WHO FCTC ratification Ukraine approved changes to the legislation that let save hundreds of lives. Within this period attitude to tobacco and smoking changed, almost all forms of tobacco advertisement, sponsorship and marketing disappeared, new rules of packs labelling are introduced, many working places became ‘smoke free’, price availability of  cigarettes is reduced due to excise tax increase.

Based on worldwide smoking prevalence indicator comparison, Ukraine advanced from 4th position in 2006 to 30’s position today, according to WHO report about global tobacco epidemic. In a year when FCTC was ratified over 37% of Ukrainians smoked daily, last surveillances revealed 24% of smokers among adults. As a result of these and other preventive measures the morbidity rates for asthma, upper air passages and ischemic heart diseases decreased.

We can state that measures realized in healthcare field were efficient. During last 8 years only in monetary equivalent the State budget got nine times more income due to tobacco excises increase. The income enlarged from UAH 2,5 billion in 2007 to UAH 22,2 billion in 2015. Decrease of tobacco prevalence enabled increase of Ukrainian life expectancy from 68 years in 2000 – 2008 to 71 years in 2001 – 2014. Is it possible to estimate in monetary terms increase of former and passive tobacco users’ life expectancy, decrease of the State expenditures for smoking-related diseases treatment, and other negative aspects of tobacco use?

At the same time, during last years no expenditures for tobacco control programs were done from the State budget, although it is Ukrainian tobacco consumers who pay excise tax on cigarettes, not corporations.

However, there is a long way ahead to eliminate the tobacco threat. According to WHO data, annually in the world tobacco consumption causes about 6 million deaths. Till 2030 this number can rise up to 8 million. In 2010 researchers from Oxford University estimated that because of tobacco use Ukraine loses about 63 000 people annually. As there were no tobacco control measures in 2015, the level of smoking prevalence did not reduce. The control over anti-tobacco legislation implementation is still weak while the influence of tobacco companies on the government is strong conversely. Most anti-tobacco proposals and measures are initiated and financed by NGOs and activities in TC sector are financed by international donors.

In this anniversary year, the Ukrainian Parliament positively assesses measures on realization of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and legislative changes in tobacco control sector, which let reduce tobacco consumption and smoking prevalence as well as decrease mortality rate for tobacco-related diseases.

The Ukrainian Parliament positively evaluates measures realized in Ukraine according to WHO FCTC Part III, namely to the Article 6 “Price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco”, Article 8 “Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke”, Article 11 “Packaging and labelling of tobacco products”, Article 13 “Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship”.

The Ukrainian Parliament recognizes as unsatisfactory realization of WHO FCTC Article 5 “General obligations” in part of obligations to develop, realize, update and review multisectoral national strategies, plans and programs in tobacco control sector. We believe that it is appropriate to develop and implement the State targeted social program in reducing of tobacco harmful effect on population health and assistance in smoking cessation.

The Ukrainian Parliament acknowledges that some WHO FCTC articles are not fully implemented in Ukrainian legislation. Particularly, realization of WHO FCTC Article 8 about population protection from exposure to tobacco smoke requires improvement of operative rules as well as the total population protection from exposure to tobacco smoke in all premises. Furthermore, implementation of Article 13 about prohibition of all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion requires to ban promotion of cigarettes selling which still occurs in posts of cigarettes sale in Ukraine.

Members of Ukrainian Parliament confirm Ukraine’s course for European Integration in public health sector, and in order to protect future generations from tobacco they commit to support changes to legislation according to progressive European directives and EU – Ukraine Association Agreement in the part of excise tax rate for tobacco products harmonization. Such changes will significantly improve implementation of WHO FCTC Articles 9 and 10 about tobacco products regulation and disclosure and Article 11 about size increase and medical warnings update on the tobacco products packages.

The Ukrainian Parliament stresses on the necessity to implement Article 5.3, which encourages the Parties of Convention to protect their policies in public health from influence of commercial and other corporate interests of tobacco industry.

Based on the World Customs Organization’s report, which put Ukraine on first place in the world rating of contraband cigarettes origin in 2014, the Ukrainian Parliament recognizes that the Government work on WHO FCTC Article 15 regarding counteraction and elimination of illicit trade in tobacco products. We entrust to the Government to undertake measures in order to counteract illicit trade in tobacco and to start the process of ratification of the international Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Members of Ukrainian Parliament are grateful to all partners – NGOs and international organizations, particularly to World Health Organization, World Bank and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, for outstanding contribution to promotion of public health values and priorities in Ukraine via tobacco control.

In the anniversary year, we express the conviction in successful future of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is possible only if all Parties of this Convention will be genuinely devoted to public health values and will follow its statements and key principles steadily. It is known that due to united efforts the progressive world will eliminate tobacco in XXI century.

Members of Parliament

Oleg Musiy

Olga Bogomolets

Hanna Hopko

Tetiana Bakhteyeva

Oksana Yurynets

Igor Lutsenko

Artem Vitko

Andriy Antonyschak

Oleksiy Kyrychenko

Maria Ionova

Alyona Shkrum

Iryna Lytsenko

Lilia Grynevych

Lyudmyla Denisova

Yuriy Miroshnychenko

Yuriy Garbuz

Olena Ledovskyh

Sergiy Rudyk

Oleksandr Suprunenko

Yevgen Rybchyskiy

Oleg Kryshyn

Myhaylo Golovko

Pavlo Unguryan

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