[JURIST] Officials from over 100 countries are meeting in Geneva this week to discuss strengthening a United Nations treaty which controls the use of tobacco products worldwide. The two-week conference is underway to determine further provisions for the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [official website; PDF text], which went into effect last year [JURIST report]. The WHO Tobacco Free Initiative [WHO materials] advocates tobacco prevention methods such as advertising bans, tax and price increases, graphic health warnings on packages, and making all employment and public places smoke-free.

Nearly 60 countries have already implemented many of the treaty's provisions. Canada, Brazil, Singapore, and Thailand have started using graphic messages on cigarette packages, and Spain, Ireland, and Norway now prohibit smoking in indoor public places. The treaty also outlines deadlines for compliance, including three years for participating countries to enforce health warnings on tobacco products and five years to implement advertising bans. The UN News Centre has more.