The purpose of this letter is to urge you to support the will of the Ukrainian parliament and sign into law Bill 5164, a bill that significantly strengthens Ukraine’s current ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Approval of bill 5164 will protect the Ukrainian people from predatory tobacco industry advertising and marketing practices that are currently commonplace throughout Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has taken significant steps in recent years towards strengthening tobacco control policies including several key increases in tobacco taxes. Passage of the tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bill currently sitting on your desk is a further step in the right direction and will further position Ukraine as a tobacco control leader in the region.

Additionally, the current bill, if enacted, would bring Ukraine closer to full compliance with its obligations as a Party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Article 13 of the FCTC requires Parties to enact comprehensive advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans, prohibiting all forms of direct and indirect advertising including at the point of sale, on the Internet and though donations by the tobacco industry.

The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year to market its products. In Ukraine, the industry uses a mix of promotion and sponsorship tactics to directly affect tobacco use and attitudes related to tobacco, especially among women and youth. When tobacco advertising is only partially limited, the tobacco industry finds ways to market its products with deadly accuracy.

In Ukraine, there are 11 million smokers (29 percent) — 50% of men and 11% of women. Some 115,000 people die each year from smoking related diseases. Smoking among Ukrainian youth is a serious problem, especially among girls; 24 percent of youth smoke and half of all girls report starting before the age of 17.

Comprehensive bans, which prohibit the use of all marketing strategies by the tobacco industry, are proven to reduce tobacco use among youth as well as adults.

Reducing the sale and consumption of cigarettes is essential to defend the life and health of Ukrainians and reduce illness and death caused by tobacco. Those who profit from the tobacco industry aim to increase earnings from and sales of tobacco products, not to protect the health of the population.

We urge you to prioritize the health of Ukrainians over economically driven interests of the tobacco companies by limiting the industry’s ability to reach new users and susceptible youth.

As evident by its strong vote in favor of bill 5164, an overwhelming majority of parliament, from all of the major parties and factions, supports strengthening your country’s tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban. They recognize that a comprehensive ban is necessary to protect the Ukrainian people, the majority of which do not smoke, from the devastating harms caused by tobacco use and exposure to tobacco advertising. Your signature on Bill 5164 will further demonstrate the Ukrainian government’s leadership in the region and internationally in tobacco control.

Matthew L. Myers, president Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids

Laurent Huber, director, Framework Convention Alliance

Sandra Mullin, senior vice president, policy and communications, World Lung Foundation

Johanna Ralston, chief executive officers, World Heart Federation

Cary Adams, chief executive officer, Union for International Cancer Control

Francis Grogna, secretary general, European Network for Smoking Prevention