THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release January 18, 2001
EXECUTIVE ORDER
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FEDERAL LEADERSHIP ON GLOBAL TOBACCO CONTROL AND PREVENTION
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to
take strong action to address the potential global epidemic of diseases
caused by tobacco use. The executive branch shall undertake activities to
increase its capacity to address global tobacco prevention and control
issues through coordinated domestic action, limited bilateral assistance to
individual nations, and support to multilateral organizations.
International activities shall be directed towards deterring children from
tobacco use, protecting nonsmokers, and providing information about the
adverse health effects of tobacco use and the health benefits of cessation.
Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies. (a)
Tobacco Trade Policy. In the implementation of international trade policy,
executive departments and agencies shall not promote the sale or export of
tobacco or tobacco products, or seek the reduction or removal of foreign
government restrictions on the marketing and advertising of such products,
provided that such restrictions are applied equally to all tobacco or
tobacco products of the same type. Departments and agencies are not
precluded from taking necessary actions in accordance with the requirements
and remedies available under applicable United States trade laws and
international agreements to ensure nondiscriminatory treatment of United
States products. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed (1) to
modify the annual executive branch guidance to United States diplomatic
posts on health, trade, and commercial aspects of tobacco, or (2) to affect
any negotiating position of the United States on the Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control.
(b) The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Role in
Tobacco Trade Policy Deliberations. The HHS shall be included in all
deliberations of interagency working groups, chaired by the United States
Trade Representative (USTR), that address issues relating to trade in
tobacco and tobacco products. Through such participation, HHS shall advise
the USTR, and other interested Federal agencies, of the potential public
health impact of any tobacco-related trade action that is under
considera--tion. Upon conclusion of a trade agreement that includes
provisions specifically addressing tobacco or tobacco products, the USTR
shall produce and make publicly available a summary describing those
provisions.
(c) International Tobacco Control Needs Assessment. The HHS, with
the cooperation of the Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture, and
in consultation with the appropriate national Ministry of Health, shall
conduct a pilot assessment of tobacco use in a country other than the
United States. Such assessment will be carried out through a compilation
and review of surveys and other needs assessments already available and
include:
(1) initial estimates of the burden of disease and other public
health consequences of tobacco use;
(2) the status of tobacco control regulatory measures in place to
curtail tobacco consumption and tobacco related disease; and
(3) an analysis of the marketing, distribution, and manufacturing
practices of tobacco companies in given regions, and the impact of
those practices on smoking rates, particularly among women and
children.
Such assessment shall be prepared and provided to interested agencies and
other parties not later than December 31, 2001, and be updated as
practicable.
(d) Research and Training in Tobacco Control. The HHS will develop a
research and training program linking institutions in the United States and
certain other countries in the field
of tobacco control. Emphasis will be placed on the collection of
standardized and comparable surveillance data; networks for communication,
information and best practices; and the development and evaluation of
culturally-targeted approaches to preventing tobacco use and increasing
quit rates, especially among women and children.
Sec. 3. General. (a) Executive departments and agencies shall carry
out the provisions of this order to the extent permitted by law and
consistent with their statutory and regulatory authorities and their
enforcement mechanisms.
(b) This order clarifies and strengthens Administration policy and
does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law by a party against the United States, its officers or
employees, or any other person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 18, 2001.
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