CNN “Social Smoke” Business Success Story by Iranian Born Hookah Entrepreneur: Ain’t a Dig at WHO Treaty on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ?

While the members of the United Nations Insecurity Council were endlessly talking about sanctions against Iran, here came an “innocent” story featured by CNN :

Booming hookah biz links China, Iran, Egypt - and Texas by Justin Martin, Aug 26, 2009

QUESTION: Ain't this open advertising and promotion of an unhealthy tobacco product targeting and killing US teenagers ? How can the Federal Authorities and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tolerate such things as “Social Smoke” when the US are a signatory party of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) ?

Note: The FCTC is “an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health”, developed “in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. The spread of the tobacco epidemic is facilitated through a variety of complex factors with cross-border effects, including trade liberalization and direct foreign investment. Other factors such as global marketing, transnational tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and the international movement of contraband and counterfeit cigarettes have also contributed to the explosive increase in tobacco use”.

Article 13 (Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship) and Article 16 (Sales to and by minors) of the Convention are very clear in this respect.

REFERENCES

WHO FCTC (Framework Convention for Tobacco Control) HERE

Download: HERE

Image: CNN story

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