|
Tobacco Control Standards
Interviews with tobacco workers in Malawi in 2000 show that they frequently listen to reports on state-run radio stations that anti-tobacco campaigners in the west are partly responsible for declining tobacco prices. Other factors attributed to low prices are poor quality leaf and tobacco leaf imported from neighboring countries (Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique). One of the villains portrayed in the media is the World Health Organization's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC). FCTC includes multi-lateral negotiations for a set of rules and regulations that will govern the global spread of tobacco and tobacco products. The initiative represents the world’s first public health convention. The date of FCTC's ratification is May 2003. The government's view of FCTC is contrasted with the view of tobacco control advocates who perceive the FCTC as a means to curb chemical addiction, cancers, and other health consequences of smoking as well as "a struggle against an active, organized and calculating industry." Green Gold will depict American tobacco companies refusing to share the fruits of tobacco production with workers and building alliances with union leaders to subvert global tobacco control initiatives and ensure continued tobacco profits.
|