Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Tobacco Products Included in CAFTA Mean More Death, Disease for Countries Involved; Statement of TFK President Matthew L. Myers

WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The following is a statement by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids President Matthew L. Myers, on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives:

"We are extremely disappointed by the inclusion of tobacco products in the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives. With the passage of CAFTA, the United States is exporting death, disease and millions of dollars in health care costs. Trade agreements are supposed to benefit the economies of all countries involved. When it comes to tobacco, the legacy of CAFTA will be remembered in lives lost and in millions of dollars in health care bills.

“Tobacco products have been excluded from previous trade agreements such as the U.S.-Jordan and U.S.-Vietnam trade agreements and we are hopeful that when other trade agreements are crafted in the future, they exclude tobacco products and do not undermine life-saving tobacco control measures in other countries.”

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