A food and nutrition policy that integrates agricultural, economic, and environmental factors to ensure a positive national and international health impact should be a priority for all governments. The first stage of such a policy would be the establishment of goals for nutrition and diet. Taxation and subsidies should discriminate in favour of easy access for all to healthy food and an improved diet. The use of tobacco and the abuse of alcohol are two major health hazards that deserve immediate action through the development of healthy public policies. Not only is tobacco directly injurious to the health of the smoker but the health consequences of passive smoking, especially to infants, are now more clearly recognized than in the past.
Alcohol contributes to social discord, and physical and mental trauma.
Additionally, the serious ecological consequences of the use of tobacco as a cash crop in impoverished economies have contributed to the current world crises in food production and distribution. The production and marketing of tobacco and alcohol are highly profitable activities - especially to governments through taxation. Governments often consider that the economic consequences of reducing the production and consumption of tobacco and alcohol by altering policy would be too heavy a price to pay for the health gains involved. This Conference calls on all governments to consider the price they are paying in lost human potential by abetting the loss of life and illness that tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse cause. Governments should commit themselves to the development of healthy public policy by setting nationally-determined targets to reduce tobacco growing and alcohol production, marketing and consumption significantly by the year 2000.