GENEVA, May 21: More than 190 countries on Wednesday approved the first ever international treaty against smoking, including an advertising ban, aimed at breaking a habit that kills nearly five million people a year.

The World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of the World Health Organization’s 192 countries, unanimously adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), committing themselves to fighting the “devastating...consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure”.

“Today, we are acting to save billions of lives and protect people’s health for generations to come. This is an historic moment,” said WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland.

The pact, which was agreed by member states in March after years of negotiations, requires countries to ban or impose tough restrictions on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion within five years.

It also lays down guidelines on health warnings to be carried on cigarette packets, recommends tax increases on tobacco products and calls for a crackdown on cigarette smuggling, amongst other measures.

The UN health agency says 4.9 million people die each year from cancer, cardiovascular disease and other conditions linked to smoking and that the toll is likely to exceed 10 million by 2020, with 70 per cent of the victims in the developing world.

When the final text was hammered out in a marathon 18-hour session by WHO states on March 1, Washington said it would not be able to accept parts of the deal, including the advertising ban.

The United States, home to some of the world’s largest tobacco companies, said its constitution — guaranteeing rights of free speech — prevented any such prohibition. The treaty did not need the backing of the United States to be approved by the assembly.—Reuters