MAY 3, 2001

Anti-smoking forces gather again

REPRESENTATIVES of member states of the World Health Organization gathered this week for a second round of talks about the planned international treaty to ban tobacco advertising. The first discussions began in October last year. Since then the WHO has been drafting more detailed proposals and these were presented to delegates this week. There is still considerable divergence of opinion on what the treaty should include. The international automobile federation has said that if the agreement is signed by the WHO members it will immediately ban all tobacco advertising in motor racing. The WHO hopes to have a treaty in place by 2003 but this is unlikely to happen for several years after that.