In Historic Step for Public Health, TPP Protects Health Measures from Tobacco Industry Attack

[pampango]

Statement of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association and American Lung Association

In a truly historic step for public health, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement announced today by the United States and 11 other countries includes a provision that protects the right of participating nations to adopt public health measures to reduce tobacco use and prevents tobacco companies from using the TPP to launch legal attacks on such measures.

We commend the United States and other countries that stood up to the tobacco industry and put public health first. This provision is a critical step toward ending the tobacco industry’s growing abuse of trade agreements to challenge life-saving tobacco control measures all over the world. It sets a strong precedent for other trade agreements and boosts efforts to combat a global tobacco epidemic that kills millions each year.

Until Congress approves this agreement, the tobacco industry and its allies are certain to make every effort to defeat or weaken the provision protecting tobacco control measures. We urge President Obama and members of Congress to stand firm and reject these efforts.

Dozens of public health groups in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as many members of Congress, have urged that tobacco control measures be protected under the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We commend the Obama Administration, led by United States Trade Representative Michael Froman, and the other TPP countries for achieving this goal.

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/in-historic-step-for-public-health-trans-pacific-partnership-protects-health-measures-from-tobacco-industry-attack

Republicans Sour on Obama's Trade Pact

Of particular concern to Hatch and other Republicans is a provision excluding tobacco companies from being able to sue governments over regulations seen as targeting their industry. Another Republican, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said that change from past trade agreements, which was cheered as a victory for public-health advocates, could lead him to vote against the TPP.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/republicans-sour-on-obamas-trade-pact/409054/

The actual wording in the TPP has not been released yet so I'm not sure what these are basing their analysis on. Quite a blow to Big Tobacco, if true.

[pipoman]

1. There really isn't any piece of TPP that justifies

Disregarding the will of 90% of the population....it is a corporate wet dream delivered by a Democratic president....it is inexcusable....

[pampango]

2. "There really isn't any piece of TPP that justifies disregarding the will of 90% of the population."

By 45% to 19% Democratic primary voters would be more likely to support a candidate who would "expand trade agreements". Expanding trade agreements did not make the top 5 for republicans. It fell below #5 on their list "raising taxes on the wealthy" which they oppose so they must oppose expanding trade agreements even more than that.



I don't see 90% of the population opposing TPP.

it is a corporate wet dream delivered by a Democratic president

Big Tobacco and Big Pharma might call this a nightmare rather than a wet dream. Perhaps other corporations will see this in the light you suggest.

Even the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids may agree with you after they read the fine print when it is released.