[Español abajo] Statement from Laurent Huber, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health, on the passing of former Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez It is with a heavy heart that we note the passing of former Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez. Dr. Vázquez, an oncologist by training, was a champion of
This page contains submitted and upcoming civil society reports organized by international human rights treaty body. Learn About the Treaties Learning Resources ASH and our partners have followed the lead of the Human Rights and Tobacco Control Network and have submitted country reports to treaty bodies, as countries are called for reporting.
The David-Goliath battle between Uruguay and Philip Morris is an iconic case because it so clearly illustrates the way corporations can use international investment treaties to attack regulations made in the public interest. So does Big Tobacco’s defeat by Uruguay mean that the growing public opposition to these investment treaties
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org STATEMENT BY LAURENT HUBER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH Uruguay Wins Its Tobacco Case Against Philip Morris International But PMI Accomplished Its Primary Goal WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 8, 2016 – After more than six years, this
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org Does Tobacco Violate Human Rights? Inter-American Commission Ponders Question WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 6, 2016 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard testimony from experts yesterday on why tobacco should be considered a human rights issue. The thematic
Many Americans view smoking, and secondhand smoke, as a problem that has mostly been solved, at least in the United States. However, only half of all Americans are protected from exposure to secondhand smoke, whether in public places or at work. Several countries around the world have achieved complete protection
Comedian John Oliver took on Philip Morris International (PMI) Sunday night on his HBO show “Last Week Tonight.” ASH Policy Director Chris Bostic was privileged to see the taping in person. It is a hilarious and poignant piece, and the PR folks at PMI must have woken up dazed and
Only about half of Americans are protected from exposure to secondhand smoke, whether in public places or at work. Yet, a growing number of foreign countries have achieved complete protection, often in the face of strong tobacco industry opposition. While every society is different, some of the strategies used offer
Uruguay has presented a 500 page document to defend itself against an international lawsuit challenging the country’s tough tobacco packaging regulations. The claim was brought by Philip Morris, the global tobacco giant, at the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington DC… On October 13,
Almost 200 countries signed the World Health Organisation’s Tobacco Control Convention and are obliged to take measures to curb tobacco use. But the industry has hit back. A big tobacco company, Philip Morris, has taken Uruguay and Australia to tribunals under bilateral investment treaties, claiming billions of dollars in compensation
The tobacco industry has a long history of flexing its muscles, namely in the area of investor protection schemes, against governments in the name of protecting its own market. TTIP is an opportunity to set a good example for 21st century trade agreements by, at the minimum, recognizing the unique
LIMA, Peru — A protracted legal battle in an obscure World Bank tribunal over the principles of market competition in a South American backwater. Even by trade dispute standards, this one sounds arcane — the perfect cure for insomnia perhaps. But before you nod off, here’s a triple shot of
Between 2005 and 2012, Uruguay instituted a set of strong tobacco control policies. By 2012, the government had banned nearly all advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, prohibited smoking in all indoor enclosed public places and workplaces, mandated rotating graphic warning labels covering 80 percent of the front and
