The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005. It has since become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations history.

The WHO FCTC was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.

Within the framework of the Article 5of the WHO FCTC, Myanmar has adopted the national tobacco control law in 2006, which came into force by May 2007.  The present legislation covered the demand reducing measures that contain comprehensive packages of banning smoking in public places, banning tobacco promotion, advertisement and sponsorship, adopting pictorial and textual health warning messages, banning sale of underage, etc.  Under the Article 4 of existing legislation, the Central Board of the Control of Smoking and Consumption of Tobacco Product has been established, comprising the Union Minister for Health as Chairperson, Director-General of Health as Secretary, and other senior government officials from related ministries and organizations as members.  Main functions of the Central Board are to lay down policy to implement the objectives of national law (i.e., reducing consumption of tobacco products and establishing smoke-free environment), and to carry out and give guidance on various tobacco control measures.  The Central Board has to give guidance to carry out education to the public on raising aware that smoking and consumption of tobacco products are dangerous to health.

The Central Board, while organizing cooperation and coordination with relevant Government departments and organizations for enabling the control of smoking and consumption of tobacco product, is also responsible to arrange the Supervisory Bodies at the Regional and State, District, and Township levels, and to assign functions and duties to these bodies for carrying out the control of smoking and consumption of tobacco products.  Till date, a few sessions of the Central Board have been held, the last being agreeing the notification for pictorial and text warning to cover 75% of the space of any package of tobacco products in February, 2016.  Not a single Supervisory Bodies at State/Region, District or Township levels has not yet been established.  This might have hindered the slow in implementation of tobacco control measures.

Link: Myanmar Tobacco Control Law, 2006 (PDF)
https://seatca.org/?p=1525

Link to Tobacco Control Law in ASEAN Countries (Web Link)
https://seatca.org/?p=6006