New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) There is an urgent need to promote alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and to come up with legislations to fix liability of the tobacco industry for the harms caused by their products, according to a declaration adopted today at WHOs global tobacco control conference attended by representatives from around 180 countries.

The Delhi Declaration, adopted on the last day of the seventh edition of Conference of Parties (COP) on World Health Organisation FCTC, also asked the member countries to prohibit or regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes.

The six-day conference was held at Greater Noida near here in which about 1,500 delegates along with other observers participated.

All the member countries were asked to consider developing civil liability clauses in their legislations under article 19 of the WHO-FCTC, which calls for civil liability be imposed on tobacco industry for the harms caused by their product on the people.

The delegates expressed concern at the overall health impact and the long term public health risks of electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/ENNDS), with some even expressing concern at the use of health claims as a marketing tool for such products.

Accusing the tobacco industry of trying to mislead by generating a perception that the Convention is against the farmers, a top official of the Convention Secretariat said it was against the tobacco industry and not the agriculturists.

"We have an obligation to protect vulnerable members of the tobacco production chain -- the farmers. But we do that not through encouraging more growing, as the tobacco industry does, but through the development of solid, sustainable alternatives that will promote a better future for farmers and their families," Dr Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, head of the Convention Secretariat of WHO FCTC, said at the closing ceremony. (MORE) PTI PLB KIS