DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 22--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
Health officials in Thailand have found 7-Eleven convenience stores to be the only one of 500,000 retailers in the country violating a newly revised tobacco advertising ban. Thailand's 13 year-old ban on tobacco advertising has served as a model for the historic Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which became international law this year. By strengthening the ban, health officials are closing loopholes that had been identified and exploited by tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria through "point-of-sale" advertising at 7-Eleven and other retail stores.
"By explicitly including point-of-sale advertising in Thailand's tobacco advertising ban, Thailand is taking another bold step to defend people from dangerous actions of corporations like Philip Morris/Altria," explains Corporate Accountability International Executive Director Kathryn Mulvey. "Thailand's success in standing up to Big Tobacco laid important groundwork for the global tobacco treaty, which will now move other countries to implement their own tobacco advertising bans."
According to Thai health officials, Philip Morris/Altria moved into Thailand's 7-Eleven convenience stores with its prominent point-of-sale displays nine years ago -- four years into the implementation of Thailand's groundbreaking ad ban. Philip Morris/Altria has contracts with Thai cigarette retailers, and has been paying them a fee for putting up special displays in designated locations. With an average of 1,000 customers per day visiting each of 7-Eleven's over 3,200 Thai stores, 7-Eleven has been one of the main retail outlets for Philip Morris/Altria's point-of-sale advertising. Philip Morris/Altria has a powerful commercial interest in 7-Eleven's continued violation of the ban. Health officials also highlight the fact that 7-Eleven is a key member of the Thai Retailers association, which showed strong opposition when the Ministry of Health began working to close the point-of-sale loophole.
Health officials submitted complaints to local authorities regarding 7-Eleven's non-compliance two months ago, but no action has been taken. "Law enforcement may have turned a blind eye to 7-Eleven's irresponsible actions because of its tremendous economic and political clout," explains Dr. Hatai, one of the authors of Thailand's advertising ban and their negotiator for the global tobacco treaty.
The global tobacco treaty, which became international law earlier this year, includes a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Over 115 countries -- including more than 70% of the world's population -- have ratified the treaty, formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Thailand's ad ban was a model for the WHO throughout negotiations on the treaty, and now Thailand's policy clarifications come just before the treaty's first enforcement meeting, scheduled for February 6-17 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Bush Administration signed the global tobacco treaty with great fanfare nearly a year and a half ago, but has not yet submitted it to the Senate for ratification.
Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations -- like Nestle, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria -- to stop abusive actions. Corporate Accountability International, an NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), played a key role in development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For more information visit http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org
Contacts:
Bryan Hirsch/Corporate Accountability International
(617) 695-2525
Dr. Hatai Chitanondh/Thailand Health
Promotion Institute, pirayu@asianet.co.th
SOURCE: Corporate Accountability International
CONTACT:
Bryan Hirsch of Corporate Accountability International,
+1-617-695-2525; or
Dr. Hatai Chitanondh of Thailand Health Promotion Institute,
pirayu@asianet.co.th
Web site: http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--