China
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other tobacco control organizations on Thursday called on China to ban all tobacco advertising. The move came days ahead of the third review of a draft amendment to China’s advertisement law by the nation’s top legislature. Though anti-tobacco groups support the wider ban of tobacco ads, the amendment is criticized for exempting advertising at points of sale.
“All forms of tobacco advertising, in all settings, including at retail points of sale, should be banned,” said Angela Pratt, head of the Tobacco Free Initiative at WHO’s China office. She said that “China has a legal obligation to implement policies contained within the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”, forgetting that the only binding instrument under the FCTC is the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. The global tobacco control treaty advises a total ban on tobacco advertising.
The bill is expected to be proposed to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for the third reading at its bi-monthly session next week. Current laws ban direct tobacco advertising, but major loopholes allow “stealth” marketing such as charity campaigns or via social media.