Table 2.
Overview of pertinent children’s rights/interests and their indicative implications for tobacco control
| Children’s rights and interests relevant to tobacco control | Indicative implications |
|---|---|
| Best interest of the child (Articles 3 CRC; 24 EU Charter) | Ensure that children’s best interests are consistently implemented in every tobacco-related action taken; ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being by protecting it from tobacco |
| Health (Articles 24 CRC; 11 ESC; 35 EU Charter; the ECHR does not contain such a right but see Articles 2, 3, 8 ECHR and Article 2 Protocol no 1 to the ECHR) | Take appropriate measures to reduce the use of tobacco among children; prevent exposure to smoking; provide advisory and educational facilities for the promotion of health and education in schools on prevention of smoking; restrict the supply of tobacco through controls on production, distribution, advertising and pricing; ban the sale of tobacco to young persons; create smoke-free spaces; ban tobacco advertising |
| Life [survival and development] (Articles 6 CRC; 2 ECHR; 2 EU Charter) | As above |
| Information (Articles 17 CRC; 11 EU Charter) | Provide appropriate information to protect children against the harmful effects of tobacco |
| Government support for parental responsibility to protect best interest of the child (Article 18 CRC) | Support parents to avoid exposing children to environmental tobacco smoke |
| Protection against physical and moral dangers (Articles 19 CRC; 7.10 ESC) | Protection against the spread of smoking |
| Adequate standard of living (Article 27 CRC)/Respect for private and family life (Articles 8 ECHR; 7 EU Charter) | Ensure children are not exposed to tobacco smoke inside their homes |
| Protection against exploitation (Article 36 CRC) | Protect children against tobacco marketing |