Media centre  Global tobacco treaty enters into force with 57
countries already committed  Parties represent 2.3 billion
people  The World Health Organization Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) enters into force on Sunday 27
February 2005. This represents an historical moment in public
health, as the Treaty gives countries more tools to control
tobacco use and save lives. On the 27th, the provisions of the
Treaty will be legally binding for the first 40 countries that
became Contracting Parties before 30 November 2004.  Tobacco is
the second leading cause of death globally, causing nearly five
million deaths a year. Estimates show that it will prematurely
kill ten million people a year by 2020 if current trends are not
reversed. Tobacco is the only legal product that causes the
death of half of its regular users. This means that out of 1.3
billion smokers, 650 million people will die prematurely.
Seventeen additional countries have become Party to the treaty
since 29 November. For these, and