Fifty years of anti-smoking
In the early 1960s three American bodies - the Cancer Society, the Heart Association and the Lung Association - began working together to educate Americans about the health hazards associated with tobacco use, and Becky traces how this ‘education’ turned into a global crusade for the next fifty years.
“The first report on smoking and health was published by the Royal College of Physicians in 1962,” says Becky, “and first World Conference on Smoking and Health was held in New York in 1967.”
“In 1969 the WHO’s regional committee for Europe and the Americas passed resolutions to make cigarette smoking history by the end of the century,” says Becky, “and this committee also set up a global network of anti-smoking professionals working together to achieve its aim by lobbying governments.”
“The 2nd World Conference on Smoking and Health was held in London in 1971, but it was at the 3rd World Conference on Smoking and Health held in New York in 1975 that the Godber Blueprint for making cigarette smoking history was set in stone with strategies to achieve the WHO’s final goal by 2000.”
“In 1979, at the 4th World Conference on Smoking and Health, Stockholm, the World Health Day theme was ‘Smoking or Health, the Choice is Yours’ – a reasonable theme,” says Becky, “but by the 5th World Conference on Smoking and Health held at Winnipeg, Canada, in 1983 there was a shift in membership which made its mark at the 6th conference.”
“By then, anti-smoking activists had infiltrated the health departments of their home governments and, once in positions of relative power, they were not only able to allocate tax-payer funds to private tobacco control organizations but also to put themselves forward as ‘professionals’ for media advocacy of their anti-smoking cause.”
“An anti-smoking industry, funded by taxpayers – particularly smokers via tobacco tax – had come into being.”
“By 1984, following a call by former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, for a smoke-free society by 2000 - reiterating the Godber Blueprint of 1975 - the global anti-smoking crusade stepped up.”
“In 1985, tobacco-Free America (TFA) was created to form coalitions to lobby legislators, regulators and other public officials about the urgent need for enactment of tobacco-control legislation to achieve a smoke-free society by the year 2000,” says Becky. “TFA was also instrumental in changing public attitudes towards smoking, making it out to be a health hazard and a socially unacceptable behavior.”
“The first no smoking day was observed – of all places - in Shanghai, China, in May 1986; and in the following year, 1987, the 6th World Conference on Smoking and Health was held in Tokyo.”
“The first Global No Smoking Day was celebrated on 7th April 1988 coinciding with the 40th anniversary of WHO (a body dedicated since its inception in 1948 to end smoking).”
“The World Conferences on Smoking & Health continued, like a moveable feast, attracting more and more delegates eager for fame and fortune on the anti-smoking bandwagon,” says Becky, “In 1990 the 7th was held in Perth; in 1992 the 8th was held in Buenos Aires; in 1994 the 9th was held in Paris; in 1997 the 10th was held in Beijing; in 2000 the 11th was held in Chicago; in 2003 the 12th was held in Helsinki; in 2006 the 13th was held in Washington; in 2009 the 14th was held in Mumbai; and in 2012 the 15th World Conference is due to take place Singapore.”
“That’s fifty years of anti-smoking crusading!” laughs Becky. “These guys are just using smoking as an excuse to get on the WHO gravy train!”
Read more by Becky on this issue:
Labels: anti-smoking, C. Everett Koop, godber blueprint, gravy train, Royal College of Physicians, smoking, Smoking and Health, surgeon general, World Conferences
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