烟草在线据《耶路撒冷邮报》报道编译　　以色列卫生部长12月25日表示，以色列签署了一个防止非法烟草贸易的国际议定书。

　　以色列驻联合国大使普罗索尔代表以色列签署了这个议定书，作为世界卫生组织《烟草控制框架公约》的一个补充。以色列与另外176个国家在几年前批准了这项公约。

　　卫生部认为烟草非法贸易是一个全球性问题，因为非法贸易利益被用来资助真主党这样的恐怖组织和其他犯罪组织，并被用来洗钱。卫生部称，烟草走私还会减少合法税收收入，影响降低吸烟率的努力，并对人们产生致命的影响。

　　该议定书可以联合国际力量，通过加强合法烟草供应贸易方面的安全性，打击烟草走私。该议定书将要求记录和跟踪这方面的供应情况，以使当局能够确定非法烟草的生产地点和目标销售地点。此外，将给“合法”烟草商颁发许可证，并限制网络销售烟草制品。该议定书的签约国可以交换信息和引渡违反者。

　　以色列是签署该议定书的第43个国家（包括欧盟）。但是，由于烟草游说组织在联邦政府内游说，美国甚至还没有签署《烟草控制框架公约》。

　　既然以色列已经签署了该议定书，就必须通过立法，执行该议定书的规定，然后批准立法。

　　卫生部表示，除了打击走私和减少使用非法资金资助恐怖组织的情况，该议定书还将帮助以色列更好地实施有关烟草制品广告和营销方面的限制措施。

　　目前，以色列议会经济委员会正在为烟草非法贸易提案的二读和三读做准备。该提案将修订广告限制措施，并限制烟草制品的营销。但是，卫生部尚未关闭公共建筑内的合法吸烟室——大多数发达国家都已经关闭了吸烟室，迫使吸烟者到室外吸烟。

Israel Becomes 42nd Country to Sign International Protocol against Tobacco Smuggling

　　Israel has joined an international protocol for the prevention of illegal tobacco traffic, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

　　Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor signed the protocol on behalf of the state, as an addition to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which Israel ratified several years ago along with 176 other states.

　　The ministry called illegal trade in tobacco a worldwide problem, as the proceeds are used to fund terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and other criminal organizations, as well as in money laundering. Such smuggling also leads to the loss of legitimate tax income and harms the effort to reduce smoking and its deadly effects on the population, the ministry said.

　　The protocol makes it possible to combine international efforts to fight tobacco smuggling by increasing security in the trade of legal tobacco supplies. It will require that such supplies be marked and followed up so the authorities can identify where they were produced and where they are supposed to be sold. In addition, there will be licensing for "legitimate" tobacco merchants, and the sale of tobacco products on the Internet will be restricted. The signatories of the protocol can exchange information and extradite violators.

　　Israel is the 42nd country - including European Union nations - to sign the protocol. The US, however, has not yet signed even the FCTC due to tobacco lobbying in the federal government.

　　Now that Israel has signed, it must pass legislation to suit the protocol's instructions, and then ratify that legislation.

　　In addition to fighting smuggling and reducing the use of illegal funds for terror organizations, the protocol will help Israel better enforce limitations on the advertising and marketing of tobacco products, the ministry said.

　　The Knesset Economics Committee is currently preparing a bill on the subject for second and third readings. The bill would amend the limitation of advertising and would limit the marketing of tobacco products. However, the ministry has not yet managed to close down legal smoking rooms in public buildings - something the vast majority of advanced countries have already done, forcing smokers to go outdoors to light up. Enditem