At a press conference on January 9, 2018 the Collegiate Medical Organization (OMC) and the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking (CNPT) representing more than 30 organizations involved in the prevention and control of smoking in Spain held a meeting with the main political groups (PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos, Podemos) to which they proposed a series of measures to improve the current Tobacco law.

Of the 10 proposed measures, the two related to traceability have special relevance: 1. Avoid the interference of the tobacco industry in tobacco control policies. There is a clear conflict of interest between the interests of the tobacco industry and those of public health. The contacts with the tobacco industry must be transparent, and in no case should they give the industry a leading role in tobacco control policies. 2. Establish a system of independent traceability of tobacco products, which in no case should be designed or controlled by the tobacco industry.

The traceability solutions that are not independent of the Industry mean not only an alteration of the spirit and the commitments already acquired by the ratifiers of the WHO FCTC, but also open the door to a parallel market driven in large part by the Tobacco companies themselves.

Only by leaving the traceability system in the hands of a truly independent company, outside the tobacco interests, can the true spirit of the European Tobacco Products Directive (TDP) be applied and the WHO FCTC protocol be complied with.

What does Spain expect to firmly support the right of citizens to health?