The member-nations of the World Health Organization have recently approved a draft Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), putting an end to four years of negotiations. The draft is expected to be adopted at the general meeting of the WHO in May, and will take effect after 40 countries have ratified it.
To gain the participation of as many countries as possible, the draft convention went no further than listing control targets. As a result, concrete measures to control smoking were left to the discretion of individual countries, and the pact has only a weak binding force.
For example, Japan's opposition to restricting the use of words like "mild" and "light" resulted in the convention stating that such expressions may be restricted but only pursuant to domestic laws. Similarly, concerning cigarette vending machines, the draft FCTC only says that a signatory nation may take steps to prevent minors from using such machines or to prohibit the installation of new vending machines.
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