Bellagio statement on tobacco and sustainable development

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1995; 153: 1109-1110

[résumé]

Abstract

Representatives of international, national and scientific organizations met at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy from June 26 to 30, 1995, to examine the implications of current global trends in tobacco production and consumption, especially in developing countries, for sustainable development.

In the course of discussions on tobacco use and control and presentations of situation analyses from Africa, Asia and Latin America the following findings were noted.

• Worldwide, only two major underlying causes of premature death are increasing substantially: HIV infection and tobacco use.
• Each year 3 million of the 30 million adult deaths in the world are attributable to tobacco use. If current smoking patterns continue, by approximately the year 2025 this number will rise to 10 million, of which 7 million will be in developing countries.
• If current smoking patterns continue about 300 million of today's children and teenagers will eventually be killed by tobacco use. Tobacco addiction usually starts before adulthood.
• Each additional 1000 tonnes of tobacco produced will eventually result in about 1000 deaths.
• The net economic costs of tobacco are profoundly negative: the costs associated with treatment, mortality and disability exceed estimates of the economic benefits to producers and consumers by at least $200 billion (US) annually. One third of this loss is incurred by developing countries.
• There are currently about 800 million people in developing countries who smoke, and this number is still increasing. It is estimated that 50% of men and almost 10% of women in developing countries smoke.
• Smoking during pregnancy substantially reduces birth weight, and low birth weight is strongly associated with infant mortality and illness.
• Parental smoking increases the incidence rate of acute respiratory infections and asthma among children.
• Women and young people in developing countries are being targeted as a growth market for tobacco.The 22 participants concluded that tobacco is a major threat to sustainable and equitable development.

Tobacco control needs to be more widely recognized as a development priority, but it is not on the agenda of most development agencies. Resources available from donors to assist in researching and responding to this pandemic are inadequate in view of the growing global burden of disease attributable to tobacco use.

The initiative started at Bellagio will continue, and other potential participants will be invited to join an informal partnership that includes member countries of the United Nations and bilateral agencies, individual experts, research institutions, representatives from the media, private-sector groups, national agencies, foundations and nongovernmental organizations with a particular interest in developing countries to:

• facilitate interaction and information exchange on tobacco,
• stimulate appropriate research into the causes and consequences of tobacco use,
• inform and motivate appropriate development agencies to place tobacco control on their agendas,
• accelerate action on tobacco control within agencies and governments,
• build capacity for tobacco control, particularly in developing countries,
• support ongoing actions and programs within agencies such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Focal Point on Tobacco or Health,
• mobilize new and additional resources for responding to the development implications of tobacco production and use.

See also:
"As Canadians butt out, the developing world lights up" [abstract]