Up In Smoke

The U.S. is on the sidelines as public health officials from around the world meet in Bangkok this week to put into action a global treaty to curb death and disease caused by tobacco use. More than 190 countries unanimously adopted the treaty in 2003. Since then, 148 countries have moved to ratified it, but not the US.

Public health advocates say the Bush administration has stalled the ratification process, and is putting the United States behind the rest of world. “The only message we are sending is that we care more about protecting American tobacco companies than we do in preventing deaths from the use of tobacco,” says Matt Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, a leading U.S. anti-tobacco group.

In the United States, the treaty would require the federal regulation of tobacco, which is currently unregulated.

-Common Dreams

Regulate ... ? Oh oh.

That's not capitalism.