Universal Human Rights and Tobacco

What is Universal Human Rights Month? Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted by the United Nations in December 1948. (Note to Grantee: You do not have to read everything in the notes page. Customize the material to your audience appropriately.) It is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” The declaration was adopted by the United Nations in December 1948. What is a human right? Every person is entitled to certain fundamental rights, simply by the fact of being human. These are called “human rights” rather than a privilege (which can be taken away at someone’s whim). They are “rights” because they are things you are allowed to be, to do or to have. These rights are there for your protection against people who might want to harm or hurt you. They are also there to help us get along with each other and live in peace. Many people know something about their rights. Generally they know they have the right to food and a safe place to stay. They know they have a right to be paid for the work they do. But there are many other rights. When human rights are not well known by people, abuses such as discrimination, intolerance, injustice, oppression and slavery can arise. Born out of the atrocities and enormous loss of life during World War II, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948 to provide a common understanding of what everyone’s rights are. It forms the basis for a world built on freedom, justice and peace. http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights.html

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1. We Are All Born Free & Equal. 2. Don’t Discriminate. 3. The Right to Life. 4. No Slavery. 5. No Torture. 6. You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go. 7. We’re All Equal Before the Law. 8. Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law. 9. No Unfair Detainment. 10. The Right to Trial. 11. We’re Always Innocent Till Proven Guilty. 12. The Right to Privacy 13. Freedom to Move. 14. The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live. 15. Right to a Nationality. 16. Marriage and Family. 17. The Right to Your Own Things. 18. Freedom of Thought. 19. Freedom of Expression. 20. The Right to Public Assembly. 21. The Right to Democracy. 22. Social Security. 23. Workers’ Rights. 24. The Right to Play. 25. Food and Shelter for All. 26. The Right to Education. 27. Copyright. 28. A Fair and Free World. 29. Responsibility. 30. No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights. Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/articles-16-30.html (Note to Grantee: It is not recommended that you read this entire list to your audience. Customize the material to your audience appropriately.) Simplified Version - This simplified version of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been created especially for young people. 1. We Are All Born Free & Equal. We are all born free. We all have our own thoughts and ideas. We should all be treated in the same way. 2. Don’t Discriminate. These rights belong to everybody, whatever our differences. 3. The Right to Life. We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety.  4. No Slavery. Nobody has any right to make us a slave. We cannot make anyone our slave.  5. No Torture. Nobody has any right to hurt us or to torture us.  6. You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go. I am a person just like you!  7. We’re All Equal Before the Law. The law is the same for everyone. It must treat us all fairly.  8. Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law. We can all ask for the law to help us when we are not treated fairly.  9. No Unfair Detainment. Nobody has the right to put us in prison without good reason and keep us there, or to send us away from our country.  10. The Right to Trial. If we are put on trial this should be in public. The people who try us should not let anyone tell them what to do.  11. We’re Always Innocent Till Proven Guilty. Nobody should be blamed for doing something until it is proven. When people say we did a bad thing we have the right to show it is not true.  12. The Right to Privacy. Nobody should try to harm our good name. Nobody has the right to come into our home, open our letters, or bother us or our family without a good reason.  13. Freedom to Move. We all have the right to go where we want in our own country and to travel as we wish.  14. The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live. If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe.  15. Right to a Nationality. We all have the right to belong to a country. 16. Marriage and Family. Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if they want to. Men and women have the same rights when they are married, and when they are separated. 17. The Right to Your Own Things. Everyone has the right to own things or share them. Nobody should take our things from us without a good reason. 18. Freedom of Thought. We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to have a religion, or to change it if we want. 19. Freedom of Expression. We all have the right to make up our own minds, to think what we like, to say what we think, and to share our ideas with other people. 20. The Right to Public Assembly. We all have the right to meet our friends and to work together in peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we don’t want to. 21. The Right to Democracy. We all have the right to take part in the government of our country. Every grown-up should be allowed to choose their own leaders. 22. Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old. 23. Workers’ Rights. Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to join a trade union. 24. The Right to Play. We all have the right to rest from work and to relax. 25. Food and Shelter for All. We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for. 26. The Right to Education. Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We should learn about the United Nations and how to get on with others. Our parents can choose what we learn. 27. Copyright. Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and writings; others cannot make copies without permission. We all have the right to our own way of life and to enjoy the good things that art, science and learning bring. 28. A Fair and Free World. There must be proper order so we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in our own country and all over the world. 29. Responsibility. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms. 30. No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights.

Tobacco and the World “Today, my subjects are starving and malnourished growers of tobacco, a crop that poisons its growers, the people who handle it and all those who consume it. . . . My subjects deserve a better livelihood than being producers of poison.” - King Solomon Iguru , Bunyoro Kingdom , Uganda , 2004 Tobacco is grown in over 120 countries around the world. http://tobaccoatlas.org/downloads/maps/Chap13_GrowingTobacco.pdf

Farm Workers and Tobacco Many tobacco farmers started growing tobacco because they thought they would get rich. Now most farmers are often finding themselves in debt. Many tobacco farmers started growing tobacco because they thought they would get rich. Now most farmers are often finding themselves in debt to tobacco companies. WHO. Tobacco and Poverty: A Vicious Circle. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.ingcat.org/linked%20files/Poverty_en.pdf

Farm Workers and Tobacco Tobacco plants require frequent use of pesticides. Extended exposure to pesticides has a big impact on the health of tobacco farmers. Tobacco plants require widespread, frequent use of pesticides to protect it from insects and disease. A few frequently used tobacco pesticides include: Aldicarb, which is toxic and believed to cause genetic damage in humans Chlorpyrifos, which harms the nervous system and can cause poisoning, with symptoms including upset stomach, muscle twitching, and seizures 1,3-Dichloropropene is extremely toxic and causes respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, and kidney damage. Extended exposure to pesticides has a big impact on the health of tobacco farmers, most of whom have not received any training on how to handle these types of chemicals. Aldicarb CC. Journal of Pesticide Reform, Summer 1992. Cox C. Chlorpyrifos Factsheet, Part 2. Journal of Pesticide Reform, Spring 1995. Cox C. 1,3—Dichloropropene. Journal of Pesticide Reform, Spring 1992.

Poverty and Tobacco Tobacco use is usually higher among the poor. Tobacco use is usually higher among the poor. Because they have less available income, the poor spend a larger amount of their income on tobacco than do households with higher incomes. This is money that could have been spent on basic needs, such as food, shelter, education and health care. WHO. Tobacco and Poverty: A Vicious Circle. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.ingcat.org/linked%20files/Poverty_en.pdf

Farm Workers and Tobacco Tobacco farm workers frequently suffer from green tobacco sickness (GTS). Symptoms can include: Nausea Vomiting Weakness Dizziness Tobacco farm workers frequently suffer from green tobacco sickness (GTS). It is caused by the skin absorbing nicotine from touching wet tobacco leaves. Symptoms can include: Nausea, Vomiting, Weakness, Headaches, Dizziness, Abdominal cramps, Difficulty breathing, and Fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rates. Arcury TA et al. High levels of transdermal nicotine exposure produce green tobacco sickness in Latino farm workers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2003: 5:315-321. Ballard T et al. Green tobacco sickness: occupational nicotine poisoning in tobacco workers. Archives of Environmental Health, 1995: 50:384-389.

Global Health Impact of Tobacco According to the World Health Organization tobacco use in the leading cause of death, illness and poverty. Tobacco use kills more than five million people a year – an average of one person every six seconds. According to the World Health Organization tobacco use in the leading cause of death, illness and poverty. Tobacco use kills more than five million people a year – an average of one person every six seconds. About 10% of adults deaths are related to tobacco use and about half of current tobacco users will die of a tobacco-related disease. WHO. Tobacco: Key Facts. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/index.html

Poverty and Tobacco 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in developing countries. Many times tobacco users who die early are one of the primary breadwinners in the family. 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in developing countries, where the rates of tobacco-related illness and death are highest. Many times tobacco users who die early are one of the primary breadwinners in the family, which leaves families with less income to support the household. Illness due to tobacco-related sicknesses raises the cost of health care and prevents economic development. WHO. Tobacco: Key Facts. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/index.html

Poverty and Tobacco Money spent on tobacco also robs people of educational opportunities that could help them get out of poverty. Over 10.5 million people in Bangladesh who do not have enough food to eat would have enough food if the money they spent on tobacco was spent on food instead. This would save the lives of 350 children under age five each day. Money spent on tobacco also robs people of educational opportunities that could help them get out of poverty. Right now some of the poorest households in the world spend almost 10 times as much on tobacco as on education. Efroymson D et al. Hungry for Tobacco: an analysis of the economic impact of tobacco on the poor in Bangladesh. Tobacco Control, 2001, 10:212-217.

Child Labor and Tobacco A report was conducted in Bangladesh found conditions in some bidi-rolling factories were harsh. 13% of the children workers were less than nine years old 40% of the children ages 5-15 had never gone to school before Working an average of 11-12 hours a day prevented them from attending school A report was conducted in Bangladesh and found that children were working in bidi-rolling factories under harsh conditions. (A bidi is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco and wrapped in a tendu leaf, tied with a string at one end.) Some findings included: 13% of the children workers were less than nine years old 40% of the children ages 5-15 had never gone to school before Working an average of 11-12 hours a day prevented them from attending school Efroymson D, FitzGerald S. Tobacco and Poverty, observations from India and Bangladesh, PATH Canada, 2nd ed., July 2003. CDC. Smoking and Tobacco Use: Bidis & Kreteks. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/bidis_kreteks/

Child Labor and Tobacco Children frequently start working at a very early age, which forces them to give up educational opportunities that could help them get out of poverty. In addition, children also work in on tobacco farms in many countries. Many poor families depend on this additional income to support the household. Children workers frequently start working at a very early age, which forces them to give up educational opportunities that could help them get out of poverty. WHO. Tobacco and Poverty: A Vicious Circle. Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://www.ingcat.org/linked%20files/Poverty_en.pdf

What can you do? Take the pledge to be tobacco free and urge your friends to do the same. Refer tobacco users to QuitlineNC Join TRU to tell others about the dangers of tobacco