We will keep you informed of our progress and the latest on tobacco-related issues.

More ways to support ASH >

NOTE: Your information will not be shared, sold or used for any other purposes.

“While smoking rates in the United States are lower than they have been in almost a century, the tobacco industry is wealthier than ever and has moved their marketing efforts into the developing world, cultivating new generations of customers and subjecting millions to addiction, disease and death, says Laurent Huber, executive director of ASH. “The tobacco epidemic is a global problem requiring a global solution.”

The website provides insight into how ASH is taking global action against tobacco, information on the epidemic and ways for members of the public to take action.

In addition to engaging the public to become involved in the global war on tobacco, the website provides detailed information on the organizations key program areas, that include:

• Tobacco Industry Monitoring
• Tobacco Treaty
• Tobacco & Poverty
• Tobacco & Trade
• Tobacco & Human Rights

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We will keep you informed of our progress and the latest on tobacco-related issues.

More ways to support ASH >

NOTE: Your information will not be shared, sold or used for any other purposes.

Tobacco-related deaths

• 20^th Century – 100 million
• 21^st Century estimate – 1 billion
• A person dies from tobacco every 6 seconds

More facts

• Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 250 that are known to be harmful to human health and more than 50 known carcinogens.

• There are 1.1 billion tobacco users in the world. This number is expected to increase to 1.6 billion over the next two decades.

• More than 25% of all deaths in the U.S. are attributable to tobacco.

• Tobacco industry revenue in 2010 was $664 billion. This was greater than the gross domestic products of all but 18 nations.

• Worldwide, more than 600,000 nonsmokers die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke. Nearly a third of these victims are children.

• The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FTCT), the world’s first public health treaty, is one of the most universal treaties in existence, with 176 Parties representing over 87% of global population. The United States has not ratified the FCTC.

• Addiction to tobacco impacts poverty and development. In poorer countries, up to 30% of income is spent on tobacco, reducing funds available for nutrition, education and health care.

• In the United States, each pack of cigarettes sold costs society an estimated $18.05.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is a historic effort to end a public health catastrophe. The world’s first public health treaty, and the first treaty negotiated by the World Health Organization, the FCTC aims to “protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.”

The FCTC addresses the tobacco epidemic in a comprehensive manner. Among its obligations:

• Barring the tobacco industry from participating in the development of public health regulations;
• Protecting people from involuntary exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke;
• Requiring industry disclosure of ingredients in tobacco products, and requiring their regulation;
• Requiring large warning labels, and banning misleading qualifiers like “light” and “low”;
• Banning all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship;
• Fighting tobacco product smuggling; and
• Assisting farmers in transitioning to other livelihoods.

“The United States has been sitting on the sidelines of this historic and vital effort for too long, says Laurent Huber, ASH Executive Director. “Unless greater action is taken, 1 billion people will die from tobacco this century—a 10-fold increase over the 20th century toll. And in spite of all of our progress here in the U.S., 2,000 to 3,000 children begin smoking every day and more than a quarter of all deaths are attributable to tobacco.”

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Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) will address global health governance issues impacting the tobacco related epidemic at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health that opens in Kansas City, Wed Aug. 15. The Conference—held every 18 months—brings together researchers, advocates and regulatory officials from all over the United States to share their work and ideas on the next steps in their common fight against tobacco.

ASH will be focusing attendees’ attention on the growing global nature of the tobacco epidemic and how events overseas impact our efforts here at home including:

• How the U.S. is falling behind on tobacco control
• FCTC Implementation
• The NCD Summit and global tobacco control
• Graphic tobacco warning labels around the world compared to U.S. measures
• Industry interference in tobacco policy
• The impact of globalization on the tobacco epidemic

For more information on the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, visit TobaccoControlConference.org.

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Events overseas profoundly impact our efforts here at home. Billions of dollars earned overseas are brought back to the U.S. and used to finance friendly political races, run massive media campaigns to block progress and hire armies of lobbyists. The increasing rights given to corporations in international trade agreements threaten to undo regulations at the local, state and national level.