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The leadership behind the Global Tobacco Treaty is proposing to ban delegates from participating in the conference slated on Nov. 7 to 12 in India. The said restriction is in place to ensure that the conference will not suffer any kind of tobacco industry intimidation as some of the delegations come from countries with state-owned tobacco companies.

The proposal is met with mixed reactions. Some have praised the move as courageous while others consider it as unworthy of an agency like the United Nations. Nonetheless, the ban clearly indicates that there is a growing tension between the supporters of the treaty and its opponents.

The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the purpose of eradicating tobacco use. The industry is believed to have a direct hand in the 6 million deaths across the globe each year, according to Reuters.

The FCTC will provide guidelines on drafting national laws and policies about controlling tobacco production. Its strength lies on its focus on domestic tobacco control.

To reduce tobacco use, national governments are asked to ban cigarettes in public places. Stricter requirements are enforced when it comes to tobacco promotion and labeling. Perhaps the most effective approach is to raise the taxes on tobacco thereby discouraging its use.

However, implementation of the guidelines set in the Global Tobacco Treaty is lagging behind as reported by The Atlantic. In many developing countries, the taxes are still falling short of the standards set by WHO. Moreover, there are countries that are not adhering to the treaty guidelines by not completely prohibiting cigarette smoking in restaurants or bars.

Despite various efforts in the past, the tobacco industry has continuously intimidated and pressured national legislation to promote their self-interests. This is not surprising for the industry rake in profits by as much as $80 billion dollars for this year alone.