Expert: China's Tobacco Advertising Restrictions Still Fall Short of International Convention Requir

National People's Congress representative and Director of the Jiangsu Yancheng Disease Prevention and Control Center, Shen Jinjing, appeared on the special program "Focus on the 2015 Two Sessions" on China Economic Net. Photo by reporter Pei Xiaoge.

Wu Yiqun, Executive Deputy Director of the New Exploration Health Development Research Center, appeared on the special program "Focus on the 2015 Two Sessions" on China Economic Net. Photo by reporter Pei Xiaoge.

　　National People's Congress representative Shen Jinjing and Wu Yiqun, Executive Deputy Director of the New Exploration Health Development Research Center, appeared on the special program "Focus on the 2015 Two Sessions" on China Economic Net. Photo by reporter Pei Xiaoge.

　　China Economic Net Beijing, March 14 (Reporter Tong Mingbiao) reported that "The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control requires contracting parties to comprehensively ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship within five years after the convention comes into effect, but we have not achieved this." Shen Jinjing stated during his appearance on the special report of the 2015 Two Sessions on China Economic Net. In response, Wu Yiqun also stated, "There is a phrase in the convention that says to broadly prohibit all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and the word 'all' cannot be altered." Click to enter the topic.

　　Shen Jinjing introduced that "Before this Two Sessions, the National People's Congress had already reviewed the "Advertising Law" twice. In the second review draft of the "Advertising Law," some restrictions on tobacco advertising were proposed, such as clearly expanding the scope of prohibited tobacco advertising, media, forms, and locations, while also proposing some conditions that must be met for allowing tobacco advertising. I think these are additional requirements based on the original foundation. However, the restrictions on tobacco advertising proposed in our second review draft do not meet the requirements of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control."

　　Shen Jinjing revealed that in 2005, the National People's Congress approved China's accession to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which officially came into effect in January 2006. This framework convention requires contracting parties to comprehensively ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship within five years after the convention comes into effect, and we have been fulfilling our obligations for nine years. "Therefore, we hope that the newly revised "Advertising Law" can reflect our commitment to fulfilling our obligations by comprehensively banning tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship."

　　Shen Jinjing believes that the second review of the "Advertising Law" regarding tobacco advertising actually leaves a space that allows tobacco specialty stores to display or arrange tobacco advertisements, while also allowing tobacco producers to distribute tobacco advertisements internally to sellers, which actually leaves a significant hidden danger.

　　In response, Wu Yiqun also stated that this clause in the "Advertising Law" seems to leave a loophole, but it is like opening a floodgate. Currently, there are 5.4 million tobacco sales points in our country, some of which have pushed their counters to the edge of the steps, making it sometimes difficult to distinguish between indoor and outdoor advertisements. Additionally, buyers can take printed materials from the store, which constitutes a form of mobile advertising. "The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control states that there should be a broad prohibition of all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and the word 'all' cannot be altered."