John A. Mirisch, 3x Mayor of Beverly Hills, Joins Action on Smoking and Health Board of Trustees
His Leadership in Passing The 1st in the Nation Ban on the Sale of Tobacco Products Will Save Lives
Media Contact:
Megan Arendt
(202) 390 – 9513
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 17, 2020 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH US) is pleased to welcome John A. Mirisch to its Board of Trustees. His extensive experience in public health policymaking will make him an ideal advocate for ASH and its partners as we work towards zero deaths from tobacco.
Councilmember Mirisch has served on the Beverly Hills, California City Council since 2009, serving as Mayor in 2013, 2016 and 2019.
2019 was a pivotal year, when Beverly Hills voted to phase out the sale of commercial tobacco products. Read ASH’s release at the time it passed here. The lifesaving sales ban will apply to all retailers, including gas stations, convenience stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores, starting January 1, 2021; read the policy here.
All five Council Members voiced clear support for the ordinance, noting their pride in leading the movement to truly make health a priority. Mayor Mirisch said of the policy, “This is reflective of our community. And somebody has to be first. Let us be a light onto other cities.”
“As a physician specializing in lung disease, I have witnessed the terrible toll in disease and death exacted by smoking. I applaud John Mirisch and the Beverly Hills City Council for setting an example to other localities on a way to protect the health and well-being of their citizens,” said ASH Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Alfred Munzer. “John Mirisch will be an invaluable asset to ASH.”
Fellow ASH Trustee and Executive Director of the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Doug Blanke, said of the policy, “The tobacco epidemic is the greatest manmade catastrophe of all time: it’s on track to kill a billion smokers before the century is out. But we may look back and say that this was the day that changed all that. Because with this bold action, Beverly Hills is showing the world an alternative path. A path to zero tobacco deaths. To a world where we don’t just ‘control’ tobacco products, we phase them out completely. A world free of tobacco-related death and disease.”
During his first term as mayor, Mirisch formed the Sunshine Task Force, aimed at making Beverly Hills into a model for local governmental transparency and public participation. Mr. Mirisch was also the architect of the City’s Cultural Heritage Commission, which was created in 2012 to honor the City’s rich history and architectural legacy. Holding both a Swedish and an American passport, Mr. Mirisch brings a holistic and global perspective to public health.
Prior to devoting his career to public service, Mr. Mirisch worked as an executive at Paramount Pictures, IMAX, and United International Pictures. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University.
“We are honored to welcome John’s expertise and insight onto ASH’s Board of Trustees. His track record is clear: he has been a champion for public health, willing to take risks and advocate for innovative measures to protect the health of his constituents. We hope other states and localities can follow his and Beverly Hills’ lead,” said ASH Executive Director Laurent Huber.
ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
Founded in 1967, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is America’s oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to a world with ZERO tobacco deaths. Because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, ASH supports bold solutions proportionate to the magnitude of the problem. https://ash.org