The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) urged ASEAN governments on Tuesday, February 6, to affirm their commitments to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global health treaty intended to regulate the tobacco industry.

"ASEAN has over 125 million adult smokers, and more than 500,000 people from the region are killed by tobacco use every year. While the tobacco industry continues to profit, society bears the economic and social costs of its deadly business," SEATCA executive director Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo said in a statement.

"Governments need to do everything possible to stop the tobacco industry from causing more harm and creating a new generation of nicotine addicts with its electronic smoking devices,” he added.

SEATCA pointed out that the 4th ASEAN Tobacco Industry Interference Index had reported Southeast Asia's struggles with tobacco industry interference, noting that states still allow the industry's participation in developing health policies and accept tobacco-related charity.

The alliance's latest scorecard also showed that most ASEAN countries have yet to establish and enforce comprehensive tobacco control policies.

In particular, the alliance claimed that the while Philippines has advanced in tobacco tax policies, it has "regressed in countering tobacco industry interference."

SEATCA also said Indonesia, which remains a non-Party to the WHO FCTC, needs to improve its scores on smoke-free environments, banning tobacco advertising, requiring large pictorial health warnings, and addressing tobacco industry interference.

The alliance made the call as governments around the world convene in Panama from February 5-10 February for the Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the WHO FCTC.

"The world will be watching as governments go to COP10, and civil society expects them to fulfill their commitments under the WHO FCTC to protect present and future generations from the harms of tobacco use and nicotine addiction," Dorotheo said.

The rise of vaping products has also alarmed the Philippine government. Previously, the education department said it would develop programs and campaigns that will "heavily reinforce" the idea that Filipino students do not need tobacco products or vaping devices to manage stress and pressure.