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The FCTC covers a whole range of issues such as introducing a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, controls on the labelling of products, education about the health effects of tobacco, tackling smuggling, protection of the public from the effects of second hand smoke and measures to reduce the availability and promotion of tobacco to young people.

192 Member States of the World Health Organisation participated in negotiations. The first negotiating session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body was held in November 2000. Six sessions took place in total, and the final session which took place in February 2003, culminated with the production of a draft text which was transmitted to the World Health Assembly in May 2003. This text was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003.

Individual countries will now be asked to sign and ratify the FCTC. The UK signed the FCTC on 16 June 2003 with 27 other countries. The UK ratified it on 16 December 2004. The FCTC came into force on 27 February 2005.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has also now been ratified by the European Commission.

The FCTC will facilitate more effective international work on cross-border issues such as illicit trade and cross-border advertising. The FCTC does not prohibit general government support to the tobacco industry, save insofar as it amounts to sponsorship of tobacco advertising and promotion.