International Treaty on Tobacco Control / Research Projects on Glaucoma

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2005-3-7

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob
Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Sarah Long. Coming up ... an international treaty on
tobacco is now in effect, but some say it is not strong enough.

VOICE ONE:

Later, we have a report on some research projects to learn more
about glaucoma, a leading cause of preventable blindness.

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VOICE ONE:

A treaty that just went into
effect aims to reduce a major cause of death and disease. The treaty
is called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It is the
first public health treaty negotiated by the World Health
Organization.

More than one hundred sixty countries have signed it. Countries
that sign the treaty then must approve it within their government.
So far, fewer than sixty countries have done that.

But only forty countries needed to ratify the treaty to bring it
into force. The treaty went into effect on February twenty-seventh.

VOICE TWO:

Nations that ratify the treaty must raise prices and taxes on
cigarettes and other tobacco products. They must fight illegal trade
in tobacco products. And they must place controls on second-hand
smoke, smoke from other people's tobacco.

The treaty also bans advertising and other marketing campaigns
for tobacco. But this is true only if such a ban would not violate a
national constitution.

The treaty calls for tobacco companies to make public all the
substances they use to make cigarettes. And health warnings could
not include information that might lead people to believe that some
cigarettes are less harmful than others. Experts say there is no
such thing as a safe cigarette.

Also, governments that approve the treaty must support programs
to help people stop smoking. And there must be educations programs
to urge people not to start.

VOICE ONE:

Countries that have yet to ratify the treaty include the United
States. It says some parts violate the Constitution and others are
unacceptable. China is another country that has not approved the
treaty.

Health officials say developing countries are the biggest growth
area for tobacco, and tobacco-related diseases.

The World Health Organization estimates that each year almost
five million people worldwide die from the effects of smoking. At
current rates of growth, experts say the number could reach ten
million a year by two thousand twenty.

Smoking causes or increases the risk of many diseases. These
include cancer and heart disease. Pregnant women who smoke may
damage their unborn child. Also, a recent study offered more
evidence that breathing tobacco smoke as a child increases the risk
of lung cancer later in life.

VOICE TWO:

Public health experts praise the Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control. But there is criticism that the treaty does not go far
enough. Doctor Derek Yach (pronounced yahk) supervised the writing
of the treaty while chief of anti-tobacco efforts at the W.H.O. He
is now a professor at Yale University in the United States.

Doctor Yach says the treaty is "toothless" without additional
agreements known as protocols to strengthen it. He told The
Associated Press that any work on protocols is over a year away from
even being discussed.

He said developing nations need financial help to carry out the
treaty. He also called for clear guidance on what countries need to
do. There are no targets for reducing demand for cigarettes. So,
Doctor Yach says, there is no way to measure success.

And there are no punishments for countries that fail to act. But
they will have their records examined at United Nations conferences.
The first one is set for next February.

VOICE ONE:

The World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, estimates that more
than one thousand million people smoke. It says more than eighty
percent of smokers live in developing countries. And it says tobacco
kills one-half of those who keep using it.

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VOICE TWO:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
This is Sarah Long with Bob Doughty in Washington.

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases. Without
treatment, it can cause people to go blind.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that three million
people have glaucoma. But the Glaucoma Research Foundation says half
of them do not know even know it. Often there are no warning signs.

Eye doctors can test for glaucoma. But they have more to learn
about the causes. Medicines and operations can control but not cure
glaucoma.

VOICE ONE:

Glaucoma prevents the clear fluid in the eye from flowing
normally. This generally increases pressure within the eye. The
raised pressure can damage the optic nerve, which carries images
from the eye to the brain.

The chance of developing glaucoma increases if a person has
diabetes. The risk of glaucoma also increases with age and family
history of the disease. There is greater risk as well in people who
are nearsighted. That is, they must be close to an object to see it
clearly.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco, California,
recently announced almost one million dollars in research grants.
The group launched the second three years of a campaign it calls
"Catalyst for a Cure."

VOICE TWO:

The foundation awarded money to researchers in laboratories at
four universities in the United States. These are Johns Hopkins
University, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and
Vanderbilt University. Each laboratory will receive more than one
hundred ninety thousand dollars.

The foundation is also providing six pilot project grants of up
to thirty-five thousand dollars. The Glaucoma Research Foundation
says these awards are to help projects get started. After that, the
scientists may be able to receive financial aid from companies or
the government.

VOICE ONE:

David Friedman received one of the pilot project grants. He works
at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,
Maryland. He plans to collect medical records of African Americans
with two or more brothers or sisters with glaucoma. Experts say
black Americans have a greater risk of glaucoma than white people.

Doctor Friedman will help researchers who want to study the genes
responsible for glaucoma in these families. He will confirm that all
the people have this disease. In the words of the foundation: "The
greatest limitation to genetics research for glaucoma is the lack of
well-described patient populations."

VOICE TWO:

Markus Kuehn of the University of Iowa in Iowa City also received
a pilot project grant. He recently identified an unusual family of
cats. All of the kittens born into this animal family develop
glaucoma early in life. Markus Kuehn is trying to identify the gene
responsible for glaucoma in these cats. The goal then would be to
learn if this same gene is also responsible for glaucoma in
children.

Keith Martin of the Center for Brain Repair at Cambridge
University in England is studying stem cells. He is investigating
whether these cells can protect against damage caused by glaucoma.
The goal is to help patients with severe glaucoma.

VOICE ONE:

Sayoko Moroi works at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is studying how patients
react to glaucoma medicines. Doctor Moroi uses a process called
fluorophotometry [flur-oh-foh-TOM-eh-tree]. This process measures
the change in fluid production of the eye in reaction to glaucoma
drugs.

Hemant Pawar also works at the Kellogg Eye Center. He is trying
to find the gene that causes a kind of glaucoma that produces
growths in the iris part of the eye. His work could lead to early
interventions.

The final grant winner is Robert Nickells at the University of
Wisconsin in Madison. Doctor Nickells is working to create a genetic
test to identify people with an increased risk of glaucoma. With
such a test, eye doctors might be able to take steps to prevent the
disease.

VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jill Moss, Jerilyn Watson and
Ed Stautberg. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. I'm Sarah Long.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. If you have a question about science that we
might be able to answer on the air, send it to special@voanews.com.
Please join us again next week for more news about science in
Special English on the Voice of America.