Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)
Article 14 guidelines: a new era for tobacco dependence treatment
On Friday 19 November 2010, in Punta del Este,
Uruguay, the fourth Conference of the Parties (COP4) to
the World Health Organization Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) [1] adopted guidelines
for the implementation of Article 14 of the Convention.
[A COP is a treaty’s governing body and provides a vehicle
for deciding how United Nations (UN) treaties should be
implemented; the FCTC COP meets periodically: in 2010
it met for 1 week and considered guidelines for several
Articles and other issues, including treaty finance and
governance.]
Article 14 asks Parties to develop national
guidelines and effective measures to encourage and assist
tobacco cessation (see Table 1).
This means that for the
first time ever a global policy exists, set by a UN treaty, to
support countries in developing treatment systems to
help those addicted to tobacco to become tobacco free.
This editorial examines how this came about and what
it might mean for the future of tobacco dependence
treatment.
