The World Health Organization’s conference on tobacco consumption closed on
Friday without agreement on a pact that would regulate tobacco at the
international level. The proposed treaty (due to be voted on next year)
includes draconian restrictions on cigarette advertising. With their message
that consumers are too stupid to decide such matters for themselves,
advertising bans are insulting nonsense, even more so in the case of
’legislation’ imposed by a coterie of unelected international bureaucrats.
The US has, along with Japan and Germany, been in the forefront of efforts to
oppose these moves. That’s quite right. Matters such as this should be
decided domestically, democratically and constitutionally.
It is, of course, unreasonable to expect any UN body to understand this.