Mexico and the tobacco industry: doing the wrong thing for the right reason?
BMJ 2006; 332 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7537.353 (Published 09 February 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:353Data supplement
Posted as supplied by the author
Table 1 Comparison of Elements of the Mexican Agreement with the FCTC
Issue
Agreement
FCTC Text
Deviation
Tax
Agreement terminated by a federal or state tax increase that had a direct effect as the industry
Article 6: Recognizes that price and tax measures are an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption, especially among young people
Agreement challenges the FCTC’s recognition that taxation is an important element of tobacco control
Regulation of the contents of tobacco products
Content and ingredients of tobacco products will be available on the producers’ web pages respecting industrial secrets and confidential information.
Article 10: Obligates countries to require that manufactures and importers of tobacco products disclose to governmental authorities information about product contents and emissions. Measures for public disclosure must be adopted.
Agreement allows the industry to hold back key information based on their own judgment of industrial secrets and confidential information
Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Open-air advertising should not exceed 115 sq. ft. and producers will not participate in cross-border advertising.
Article 13: Requires, in accordance with constitutional limitations, a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship within five years of treaty ratification.
The continued allowance of billboards violates the spirit of the treaty text and if the agreement is prolonged by the next government it will be a direct violation of the FCTC.
Packaging and labeling
The surface for health warnings will be up to 50% of the backside of the package and exclude any imagesA side warning will be "Currently, there are no cigarettes that reduce health risks"
Article 11: Requires Parties to adopt and implement effective measures requiring large, clear health warnings, using rotating messages approved by a designated national authority. Provides that these warnings should cover 50% or more of the principle display areas and must occupy at least 30% and may be in the form of pictures and pictograms. Requires that labeling do not promote a tobacco product by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about its characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions.
Agreement fails to require that the warnings be at least 30% of principle display areas and limits warnings to less than 50%, instead of fulfilling the FCTC recommendation of at least 50% of a principle display area. Agreement fails to address misleading packaging, such as terms ‘light’ or ‘low tar’.
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