SEATCA

Asian tobacco growers are meeting in Indonesia for a two-day summit on the challenges facing the industry.

It comes after a recent recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ban ingredients such as clove and other flavours in tobacco products.

Asian tobacco growers say if the WHO ruling is enforced it could threaten millions of tobacco farmers' jobs.

While acting as “master of ceremonies” for a seminar on health, tobacco and taxation hosted by the Health Justice group, I came across so much information that national and local media seem to ignore or intentionally boycott because of their fears that “tobacco related advertisers” might pull out or raise hell for giving equal time or space.