The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the world's first international public health treaty. The World Health Organization-led treaty is designed to control tobacco supply and consumption through collective measures.

Objective

To protect present and future generations from the health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption through an international framework of collective measures for tobacco control.

Highlights of the FCTC include:

• requiring that health warning messages occupy no less than 30 per cent, and ideally 50 per cent or more, of the principal display areas of tobacco packaging;
• eliminating misleading or deceptive terms on tobacco packages;
• regulating all tobacco products;
• recognizing that tax and price measures are effective means of reducing consumption and implementing appropriate tax policies;
• implementing comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; or restrictions on these where not permitted by constitutional principles;
• adopting effective legislation or measures to provide protection from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces, public transport, indoor public places and, other public places as appropriate;
• establishing comprehensive education and public awareness programmes on the health risks associated with tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke;
• implementing measures to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products.

The first Conference of the Parties to the FCTC, held in February 2006, adopted the following decisions:

• establish the permanent secretariat of the FCTC. Delegates agreed on a budget of $8 million US for its functioning during the next two years. Parties agreed to fund it through voluntary assessed contributions determined using a formula.
• create working groups that will begin to develop protocols (legally binding instruments) in the areas of cross-border advertising and illicit trade.
• develop guidelines to help countries establish smoke-free places and effective ways of regulating tobacco products.
• assess progress made by countries in implementing the measures required by the FCTC using a pilot reporting questionnaire.
• establish an ad-hoc group of experts that will study economically viable alternatives to tobacco growing and production, and make recommendations on diversifying initiatives for those countries whose economies depend heavily on tobacco production.

Canada will be participating in the majority of these activities.

Complying with the FCTC

While Canada's existing tobacco control measures are generally more comprehensive than those of the FCTC, three changes to federal legislation and regulations are needed to ensure full compliance. Currently, Canadian tobacco regulations require health warnings on the majority of tobacco products - in most cases, the health warnings are larger than those specified in the FCTC. However, Canada still has a small number of tobacco products, such as cigars, that are not required to have a health warning that occupies at least 30% of the principal display area. The Government of Canada is bringing forward amendments to the regulations to cover all tobacco products sold in Canada so that Canada will be fully in compliance within the three year period permitted by the Treaty.

The FCTC requires health warning messages on any permissible tobacco advertising and promotion. Health Canada has initiated the regulatory process to ensure that health warning messages will accompany all permissible tobacco advertising and promotion in Canada under the terms of the Tobacco Act.

The FCTC also requires countries, as part of their efforts to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products, to label all tobacco products to designate whether they are intended for export or domestic markets. While Canada is substantially in compliance by virtue of the Excise Act, which requires this designation on the majority of tobacco products, the current legislation exempts a small subset of tobacco products. A legislative change is in progress to ensure that these few tobacco products will be required to be labelled for export or for domestic markets.