Azernews.Az

BAKU – CIS countries including Azerbaijan are failing to fully observe the World Health Organization’s convention against tobacco use, a WHO official said on a visit to Baku Monday.

Gauden Galea of WHO Regional Office for Europe, which has started its 61st session in the Azerbaijani capital, told a press conference that Azerbaijan joined the WHO framework convention in 2005, a key document for the control over tobacco production.

Galea cited a number of shortfalls in efforts to reduce tobacco use in Baku and the capitals of other CIS countries. These include lack of warnings on cigarette packs about the harm of tobacco, low prices for tobacco products, lack of assistance to smokers trying to quit, and no bans on smoking in public places.

Galea also expressed concern over the rapidly increasing number of alcohol users in Azerbaijan.

"According to statistics, the use of alcoholic drinks in Europe is double the global average. Though a reduction in their use is being seen in Western Europe, the figure is on upward trend in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, in Azerbaijan, the number of alcohol users is rising by the day too."

The WHO meeting in Baku was joined by about 350 representatives of 53 countries. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan is in attendance as well.

President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the event.

Discussions are focusing on such issues as prevention of non-infectious diseases and tuberculosis, alcoholism, antibiotic resistance and proper use of antibiotics, and AIDS.

The Azerbaijani government and WHO Regional Office for Europe will sign a one-year cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the meeting.