The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products met for a final (fifth) session on March 29 - April 4, 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland.
It agreed the text of a draft protocol, which will be up for adoption at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in November 2012 in Seoul.
WASHINGTON, DC (Aug. 10, 2012) Action on Smoking & Health (ASH), one of the nation’s oldest anti-tobacco organizations devoted to the tobacco related epidemic, has launched a new website and brand to reflect its new vision and mission. While ASH’s core work of combating the death and disease caused by tobacco remains unchanged, its methods are keeping pace with the nature of the epidemic—which has become global and is growing at an alarming rate.
“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:
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Tobacco use is a global epidemic, and the problem is getting worse rapidly as the tobacco industry penetrates the developing world. Here are some sobering facts.
Tobacco-related deaths
More facts
WASHINGTON, DC (Aug. 8, 2012) Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) calls on President Obama to immediately submit the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to the Senate for ratification. The United States signed the FCTC in 2004, but 8 years and 2 administrations later it still languishes in the White House. Meanwhile, the instrument has been adopted by 175 countries—representing 87% of global population—making it one of the most rapidly-embraced treaties in history.
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:
“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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WASHINGTON, DC (Aug. 7, 2012)
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:
For more information on the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, visit TobaccoControlConference.org.
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ASH works to end the global disease, damage and death caused by tobacco. We accomplish this by educating the public and decision makers, tracking tobacco industry actions, and working for strong public policies at the local, national and global levels. ASH works closely with its allies to ensure that the public health community addresses the tobacco epidemic in a unified and coherent manner. ASH is not anti-smoker – we are anti-tobacco.
As the U.S. and other western countries took action against tobacco, the industry went global to continue making money off of the misery of its consumers. In order to counter this disease’s vector – the tobacco industry – ASH decided to take the fight global as well. There is much left to do both at home and abroad. By allying with friends around the world, we give the industry nowhere to hide.
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.
ASH works with a network of allies in the United States to continue progress in fighting tobacco here at home. Often, we can bring fresh expertise and evidence to bear from progressive efforts in foreign countries. ASH also fights tobacco industry efforts to roll back local progress through litigation, especially trade agreements, and exposes Big Tobacco’s efforts to subvert the political system through lobbying, media campaigns and political donations.
(Aug. 15-17, 2012 / Kansas City, Mo.)
ASH will be taking part in this year’s National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) as both a presenter and exhibitor. The NCTOH is an important forum for those in the tobacco control community to exchange ideas, learn how to improve tobacco control programs and renew our commitment to the movement. For more information about ASH’s role at this year’s conference please visit TobaccoControlConference.org.
ASH does not have the resources to provide individualized legal services. We are a member of the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, which can often point individuals to legal help in their community or point them to class action lawsuits.
For someone who had to get involved in tobacco control as relief from seeing patient after patient suffering and dying as a result of their use of tobacco and who has been involved in tobacco control for over forty years, it is immensely gratifying to see the growing number of organizations and people represented at this National Conference on Tobacco or Health who have taken on the challenge of ending the epidemic of disease and death due to tobacco. ASH is looking to them as partners in challenging the deadly tobacco industry. ASH is also looking to new ideas to challenge the industry from anyone reading this blog. We welcome any and all ideas. Who knows which one might bear fruit and put a hole in the industry’s armor.
Author: Alfred Munzer, MD
Journalists should contact media@ash.org.
There are several ways you can renew your annual membership to ASH.
Action on Smoking and Health
Attention: Member Services
701 4th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
If you have any questions about your membership please contact the Member Services Department at membership@ash.org or call us between the hours of 9:00am – 5:00pm EST at (202) 659-4310 and we will be happy to assist you.
The tobacco industry is extremely multinational, and has a history of playing one country off of another to dissuade governments from implementing strong tobacco controls. A treaty increases the political will of governments to do the right thing, and helps in legal defense when they are sued by industry or industry-dominated foreign governments. In addition, there are issues that are by nature cross-border – such as advertising, trade, environmental damage, poverty and development, smuggling, and organized crime – that can only be properly dealt with on a global level. Finally, by sharing information and learning from each other, governments can implement sound regulations that protect health.
There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke, and there is no legal right to smoke. ASH supports smoking bans wherever innocent bystanders will be impacted by secondhand smoke. In addition to the danger of inhaling smoke, cigarette butts are the leading single cause of litter in parks and beaches. Cigarette butts are filled with toxins that find there way into water supplies and ecosystems, and because they are made of plastic, are not biodegradable.
