We will be talking about the foreign and domestic tobacco control and prevention.

Regional Workshop on Women and Tobacco Control

　　The World Health Organization (WHO) has put into force in February 2005 the first and only international health treaty called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Various nations around the world have enacted laws using the international FCTC's guidelines soon afterward. Many countries, including the Asian Pacific countries and many European countries that used to fall behind Taiwan in their tobacco control efforts, have promptly created and executed their tobacco control laws under the direction of their executive leaders.

　　Currently Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. However, in the pursuit of public health regardless of race, politics, and national boundaries, the Legislative Yuan has passed the FCTC for Taiwan, in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the WHO's FCTC. The main purpose is to show the world our determination to follow the treaty and raise the health level of our citizens through the approval process. We hope to be on the same track with the world's public health system, so even though Taiwan hasn't been able to become a part of the WHO for many decades, it'll still be able to apply the same tobacco control and prevention policy as the rest of the world. Let's hope that this is the first step for Taiwan to finally join the WHO!

　　Although Taiwan is not a signatory of the WHO's FCTC, our version of the FCTC is very similar to the international version, or even more advanced in certain areas, showing our serious tobacco control mindset. The more than one hundred non-government organizations that make up the Taiwan Anti-Tobacco Alliance applaud our government's efforts and values toward global public health and domestic tobacco control. It enables the laws of our country to be in step with the rest of the world, ensuring that our citizens won't live under the torment of the tobacco anymore. Taiwan's overall global status will undoubtedly be raised because of the tobacco control efforts.

　　Currently the government is setting goals for 2006, as it hopes to lower the rate of tobacco usage in males over the age of 18 from 47.3% to 44.0%, and from 5.2% to 5.0% in females. It proposes seven major tasks:

　　In the recent years, Taiwan has been actively sharing its tobacco control and prevention experience with the world, such as partnering with the international non-government organizations (NGO) in Cambodia to establish a website, promote health education, compile a tobacco control and prevention brochure, push for the training of trainers, and push for smoking cessation programs. In the beginning, the monks, military personnel, and school teachers are targeted. These efforts have enabled Cambodia, which has been in recession due to 30 years of civil war, and the rate of tobacco usage among male is an alarming 70%, to take its first step away of poverty.

　　In February 2006, more than 200 organizations from around the globe, including the John Tung Foundation, will be participating in the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the FCTC. During this conference, the results of Taiwan's adoption of the FCTC in accordance with the WHO will be shown in front of the entire world, and the lessons learned from the tobacco control efforts will be shared as well. The anti-tobacco movements are an important part of the public health policy, as well as the basis for the stability and harmony of a country. We are willing to go with this worldly trend, to fight against tobacco in collaboration with other countries. We urge everyone to say no to tobacco, and to work hard to create a tobacco-free environment with us.