ANTISMOKING ACTION IN FRANCE AND IN THE WORLD

One smoker out of true dies from smoking. Fifty five percent of the Fr ench population smoke at age 18. To decrease the tobacco consumption i s thus a paramount public health objective. Following WHO and << Europ e Against Cancer >>, a comprehensive program against smoking should bu n advertising, increase prices, protect non-smoker, educate children, promote non-smoking behaviours and help smokers who want to stop. The measures taken in France following the law of January 10th 1991, made possible a 11.1% decrease of tobacco consumption and a 14.5 % decrease of cigarette consumption. If France is examplary for the ban of tobac co advertising, the means devoted to education and information are poo r, the weakest in Europe. So, it is still possible to speed up the dec rease of tobacco consumption in France so that the estimate of 165000 deaths related to tobacco consumption in 2025 will not occur. This suc cess has to be interpreted within a European and Worldwide context. Th e tobacco industry is responsible for denying the danger of tobacco th e addictive effect and nicotine and for targeting children and adolesc ents. Face to the forecast of 100 million deaths within twenty years, only an international solution can be of the right size. WHO should be given this responsibility.