The world is looking to the initiatives discussed at the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP7), of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), in India. In the discussion agenda, topics of global relevance, therefore, it is necessary to discuss the main topics and the impacts on society.

The FCTC is a global public health treaty negotiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been supported by Brazil since 2005. Among the initiatives resulting from the Convention, the recent signing of the Protocol Against the Illegal Market deserves mention and recognition. made by the Executive Branch in November.

Here in Brazil, illegality is reaching higher and higher levels and “contaminating” the national market. The harms range from millionaire losses to the country with tax evasion - which translate into closing jobs and increasing unemployment for our families, in addition to public health problems: there are several risks with the indiscriminate use of contraband products, which are not inspected by health authorities and are not screened by quality control institutions.

Another important point to be highlighted is that illegal products are sold freely, facilitating access for young people. To make matters worse, there is evidence pointed out in several studies that show that the growth of the illegal market is directly linked to the increase in violence and organized crime across the country.

The effective fight against illegality permeates different sectors of society, with the involvement of governments, civil entities and the industry itself being essential, which has relevant market data for understanding the problem and essential information on the dynamics of the sector in which it operates. part, which help a lot in the search for a solution. Recently, the Federation of Industries of São Paulo, for example, launched a Yearbook of Illicit Markets that provides a diagnosis of the problem of illegality in the state and proposes effective measures to combat its expansion and the damage caused to industries. The survey shows that, in 2015 alone, losses in the state of São Paulo, for nine sectors, amounted to R $ 13 billion, with growth of 18% per year since 2010. The FNCP points out that sector losses (18 sectors ) and tax evasion amount to R $ 115 billion across Brazil.

With the signing of the protocol against the illegal market, at least in relation to cigarettes, which today is the champion of contraband in Brazil, holding 67% of everything that is brought illegally to the country, we will take another step towards a fairer environment where everyone - industry, civil society and governments - have their share of contribution to end illegality and protect the Brazilian national market.

Edson Vismona is president of the Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition (ETCO) and of the National Forum against Piracy and Illegality (FNCP).