“The tobacco industry has been lurking in the shadows of U.S. public health policy for decades. They not only sell deadly products; they fight lawmakers’ efforts to save lives. This first U.S. Interference Index shines a light on their meddling behind closed doors and gives states and localities new tools needed to protect their citizens from the predatory tobacco industry,” said Doug Matheny, Programs Manager for State and Local Policy at the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center at Stephenson Cancer Center.

The U.S. Interference Index that ASH and the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center produced is part of a global campaign to call attention to tobacco industry efforts, ensuring the industry’s ability to addict new generations remains unabated.

“Currently in the U.S., we’re facing a rapidly evolving vaping crisis because we allowed vaping companies to become a part of the conversation about public health policy. It’s the same mistake we made with cigarettes. As a result, the commercial nicotine delivery industry is flooding the market with both, cigarettes that lead to the death of half a million Americans every year and new products that are addicting American youth. It’s time to put an end to tobacco industry interference,” said Laurent Huber.

• ASH’s Accomplishments in 2019
• Video of the entire ASH Team discussing their current work and how they got involved with ASH
• Video of Executive Director Laurent Huber and Deputy Director for Policy Chris Bostic discussing the vaping illness outbreak
• Video of Chris Bostic discussing the FDA’s work on nicotine and where our work fits in
• Video of Communications Manager Megan Arendt on Al Jazeera English, discussing the Trump Administration’s Meeting with Public Health Organizations and vaping companies
• Video of Managing Attorney Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy discussing the intersection of tobacco and human rights
• Our joint call for the International Labor Organization to reject funding from tobacco companies. And our response when they decided in our favor.
• First long-term study of the health impact of vaping points the way to regulation of all tobacco products

• Philip Morris International is using a consulting firm to find researchers to work for them
• British American Tobacco loses Supreme Court battle on tobacco products sale, adverts
• Juul wanted to revolutionize vaping. It took a page from Big Tobacco’s chemical formulas
• Smoke-free laws don’t benefit all Americans equally
• How a Guardian story led to a landmark case against big tobacco
• Types of tobacco industry interference, particularly donations and preemption
• Some academics quietly take side jobs helping tobacco companies in court

We’re closing out 2019 with a lot of substantial growth in each of our programs. From co-hosting our Global Forum on Human Rights and a Tobacco-Free World with the President of Romania, the European Network for Smoking Prevention, and the 2035 Tobacco-Free Romania Initiative to running 6 capacity building workshops to supporting countless reports to human rights bodies from colleagues around the world, this was an extremely productive year for our human rights program. Our Project Sunset launched at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, with the City of Beverly Hills, CA receiving our 1st Project Sunset Award for Courage in Public Health; and we look forward to sharing additional progress as more and more cities begin phasing out the sale of cigarettes in their jurisdictions. We continue to support global best practices surrounding tobacco regulation and will champion our human rights and Project Sunset approaches to advocates around the world in 2020 to help chip away at the tobacco industry faster and faster. Please consider supporting our life-saving work by making a donation today.

And while you are shopping on Amazon, don’t forget to start each visit to their website through Smile.Amazon.com and to select ASH as your beneficiary charity. Amazon Smile will donate a portion of your order to ASH every time, with no extra cost to you!