Australia was the 79th signatory of the WHO(World Health Organisation) Framework Convention in 2003 & has committed to protect the health of their populace by joining the fight against the tobacco epidemic. To help countries fulfil the promise of the WHO Framework Convention (FCTC), WHO has established MPOWER, a package of the six most important and effective tobacco control policies:
The six MPOWER strategies are:
- M onitor tobacco use and prevention policies
- P rotect people from tobacco smoke
- O ffer help to quit tobacco use
- W arn about the dangers of tobacco
- E nforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
- R aise taxes on tobacco
Quitober mainly fulfills the "O" of the MPOWER package "offer help to quit tobacco use".
Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world today. This year, tobacco will kill more than five million people – more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. By 2030, the death toll will exceed eight million a year. Unless urgent action is taken tobacco could kill one billion people during this century.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a multilateral treaty with more
than 150 Parties, was the first step in the global fight against the tobacco epidemic
This treaty presents a blue print for countries to reduce both the supply of and the
demand for tobacco.The WHO Framework Convention establishes
that international law has a vital role in preventing disease and promoting health.
