Tobacco.org

• Israel lax on WHO tobacco control  

On Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post sent to Health Ministry spokeswoman Einav Shimron-Greenberg an Internet link to the WHO's embargoed report including data on Israel's performance, which was not allowed for release until Thursday, and asked for comments on Israel's failure to implement many of the clauses. But the spokeswoman said on Thursday morning that ministry officials had still not seen the data.

"We are doing the best we can with the available resources to improve implementation of the convention," she said. "Specifically, we are now looking for ways to carry out the demand for setting a national policy. Regarding most of the instructions, including the six strategies, it is not black-and-white, and one can always do better. For example, when raising taxes, when is what a country does considered full implementation? There is no part of the convention that we don't intend to carry out."

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