A Letter from the Chair of the Board of Trustees
Carolyn Dresler, MD, MPA
Dear Friends and Supporters of ASH,
It is my great honor to write to you as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). For nearly sixty years, ASH has stood at the forefront of efforts to end the tobacco epidemic—challenging industry misconduct, advancing strong public policy, and championing the fundamental right to health. I am honored to help lead this work at a moment when bold, decisive action is more necessary than ever.
My professional life has been shaped by what I witnessed as a thoracic surgical oncologist: the profound human cost of tobacco use. What we now know from a growing body of research is stark: quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis significantly improves treatment response and survival and should be an integral part of oncology care and patient support. Ensuring that cessation support is integrated into cancer care is both a medical imperative and a moral one.
This commitment to patient-centered care led me to a broader realization: tobacco use is not only a public health issue, but also a human rights issue. In 2008, the Human Rights and Tobacco Control Network (HRTCN) was founded to bring a human rights framework into tobacco control advocacy worldwide, work that has been furthered by ASH. I am proud that ASH has helped shift the global conversation, reinforcing that governments have an obligation to protect people—especially the most vulnerable—from the harms of commercial tobacco.
That perspective aligns powerfully with ASH’s leadership on the tobacco endgame—the idea that incremental progress is no longer enough. ASH has been a leader in advancing endgame thinking in the United States and globally, pushing for strategies that confront industry power, prioritize health equity, and envision a future free from tobacco-caused death and disease.
I have had the privilege of serving on the ASH Board of Trustees and I have been fortunate to participate in the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on the ASH delegation, where I have seen firsthand how international collaboration and evidence-based policy can counter the tobacco industry’s global reach. These experiences reinforce my belief that progress at home and abroad are deeply connected—and that ASH’s voice, expertise, and persistence matter on the world stage.
As Chair, I am committed to supporting ASH’s mission with urgency and resolve. Together with our exceptional Board, staff, partners, and supporters, I look forward to advancing policies that protect health, uphold human rights, and move us decisively toward a tobacco-free future.
Thank you for standing with ASH. The end of the tobacco epidemic is within reach—if we are willing to pursue it boldly.
With gratitude and resolve,
Carolyn Dresler, MD, MPA
Chair, Board of Trustees
Action on Smoking and Health
