Representatives of over 4 million tobacco growers across Asia called on governments to reject recent recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ban tobacco ingredients.

The representatives signed a declaration at the close of the inaugural Asia Tobacco Forum, hosted by the International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) and Aliansi Masyarakat Tembakau Indonesia (AMTI) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The two-day meeting was attended by growers from India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
“We urge all governments to reject the proposal to ban tobacco ingredients and to investigate other alternatives that can achieve public health goals while also protecting the millions of jobs that are dependent on tobacco growing,” said Roger Quarles, President of ITGA.
The declaration lists 12 recommendations, including participants’ opposition to an arbitrary ban on tobacco ingredients and a call for governments to reject the current proposal and to develop a more balanced approach to tobacco control. Participants also urged Asian governments to work alongside other governments to do their utmost to protect the tobacco growing sector and improve transparency and consultation within the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Growers from these Asian countries plan to present the recommendations of the Forum to the relevant ministries of agriculture, finance, trade and health in their home countries. (pi)