SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions
TOBACCO AND JUSTICE. THE NEED FOR GREATER COORDINATION IN EUROPE
- AUTHORS: R Luise, A J Hayes*
- INSTITUTIONS: CODACONS (Coordinamento delle Associazioni dei Consumatori), Italy, UICC (International Union Against Cancer), Bruxelles, Belgium
Civil damages caused by tobacco use or by ETS, violations of Laws against tobacco advertising, infringed rules to protect a smokefree environment, represent a number of possible cases to use litigation as a tool to fight against the tobacco epidemic. "Tobacco litigation pioneers" in Finland, UK, Italy and France are showing us the limited resources consumers have to defend themselves.
The study shows the need for greater coordination in Europe in this field: we should learn from American judicial experience and involve Universities, NGOs and health professionals to be aware of the litigation options.
A questionnaire distributed among 40 NG0s in Europe gave us the following result:
- very few organisations instigate legal actions as means to fight against tobacco epidemic; most organisations know little or nothing about litigation;
- only 2-3 organisations are available to put resources in a Common Center of Research to study litigation in Europe;
- All the organisations (except 1) would like to know more about it.
In 1995 during 2 meetings (Strasbourg 1995 - Florence 1995) NGOs and lawyers interested in litigation expressed the need of a more constructive and practical mean to inform smokers, NGOs, Lawyers about the possibility to use litigation against tobacco industry.
We support the idea of a Conference to be held in Bruxelles next Easter 1997 on the subject.
Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996
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