Tobacco Industry Lobbyists Undermine Public Health “There is an irreconcilable conflict between the goals of tobacco companies and the goals of public health,” said Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Managing Attorney at ASH. “We must exclude tobacco companies from regulating their own products, as the global tobacco treaty, the FCTC, recommends. Where that’s
How to Sidestep Addiction and Save a Billion Lives | Tamu Green Ph.D. | TEDxFolsom “We have the expectation that consumer products that needlessly cause injury and death are never placed on the market, but what do we do if a product began its sales before its harm was known
ASH’s Impact in 2022 We are a small but mighty team, fighting back against the endless resources of Big Tobacco. The tobacco industry is working harder than ever to maintain their deadly grasp on their customers, most of whom want to quit smoking. ASH and our partners have been fighting
ASH’s Accomplishments in 2021 ASH’s work is based on the principle that the behavior of the tobacco industry – producing, marketing, and selling addictive products that kill when use as intended – violates human rights, such as the right to health, that have been recognized at the highest level through
2020 ASH Annual Report Released The year 2020 brought much-needed attention to social justice and placed the right to health front and center in global public health. In a matter of months, we saw the world come to a halt because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a pandemic
148 Organizations, Universities, and Cancer Centers Call for an End to Combustible Tobacco Sales ASH and 147 organizations released an open letter calling on governments around the world to not only envision ending the tobacco epidemic but put in place concrete plans to make it happen. Not someday, or by
Another Legal Blow to Big Tobacco On March 29, 2021, Judge Janis Sammartino of the U.S. District Court for Southern California dashed the hopes of R.J. Reynolds and other plaintiffs seeking to overturn San Diego’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. In a sometimes tersely-worded decision, Judge Sammartino
As of January 1st, Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, California, became the only jurisdictions in the U.S. to eliminate the sale of commercial tobacco, although other jurisdictions are seriously considering it. Both cities included a phase-out period to allow retailers to adjust and to help people who smoke quit. “Cigarettes
In August, ASH welcomed a new staffer to the team, Carol Maytum (pictured top right). She is based out of Sacramento, California and gives us boots on the ground for the West Coast! Carol is a veteran tobacco control advocate who will lead our California Pilot Program to promote the
This June, ASH joined forces with the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) and Pollock Cohen LLP to sue the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their inaction on menthol cigarettes. “By continuing to delay, the FDA and the U.S. government are failing to protect the health of U.S.
On Thursday, April 2, 2020, ASH hosted a live webinar with Dr. Carolyn Dresler to address the nexus between the tobacco epidemic, human rights and the coronavirus. The discussion focused on the additional risk tobacco users face during the pandemic, the human rights implications for tobacco users as we respond
“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
On August 23, 2019, the 1st death from vaping was reported in the U.S. Since then, the CDC and FDA have been working tirelessly through a new taskforce to determine the cause(s) of the now 26 deaths and over 1,299 reported cases of lung injury (as of October 10, 2019).
This unique and historic event brought together global leaders in human rights and public health to discuss ways to advance worldwide efforts to combat the tobacco epidemic. Key speakers included the President of Romania, the European Commissioner on Health and Food Safety, and Princess Dina Mired of Jordan. Read our press
How the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights impacts tobacco For the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), ASH Deputy Director for Policy Chris Bostic and Staff Attorney Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy chat about the UDHR’s significance and role in tobacco control. ASH News
Over 100 Towns in Sri Lanka Stop Cigarette Sales Over 100 towns across Sri Lanka have boycotted the sale of cigarettes with an aim to discourage smoking and making Sri Lanka a tobacco-free nation, the Health Ministry said. Read the full article. Read more about ASH’s program to phase out
How Many Preventable Deaths Are Acceptable? The Answer Must Be Zero. For World No Tobacco Day, our Executive Director Laurent Huber shared a statement reminding us why we fight for a world free from tobacco deaths. He spoke of Muriel, a longtime ASH supporter, and her late husband Sylvio whose
Tobacco as a Human Rights Violation If you didn’t see it this past week, here’s our video explaining tobacco as a human rights violation. With yesterday being World Health Day, the timing couldn’t be more ideal. As our partner David Kabanda from Uganda explains, “Governments must PROTECT their citizens from
Let’s Get Rid of Cigarettes “In the 21st century, society is facing numerous public health challenges to which researchers are still searching for solutions. We must unite to end the tobacco epidemic which has a known and clear path to eradication: ending the commercial sale of cigarettes,” said ASH Executive
Open Letter to PMI from 123 Organizations Since this campaign launched in mid-September, we’ve continued to receive additional sign-ons from organizations demanding that Philip Morris International immediately cease the production, marketing, and sale of cigarettes. “Cigarettes cannot be ‘re-engineered’ to make them acceptable in global commerce; they are inherently
ASH hosted a legal expert group in Geneva For the first time, an international meeting was held to spread knowledge between the U.S., our colleagues in the Netherlands, and 16 other countries on criminal liability for tobacco executives. Stay tuned for more updates and output from the meeting as they
Statement from ASH on E-Cigarettes Following the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a new report on December 8, 2016, presenting research and policy recommendations on electronic cigarettes and their use among adolescents and young adults. “The report illustrates that while electronic cigarettes are less
Uruguay’s Victory Over Philip Morris Will Change the World After more than six years of litigation, the International Centre for Investment Disputes found against Philip Morris International (PMI) in its suit against the government of Uruguay over rules on tobacco packaging. Uruguay, a developing country whose GDP is
Just Released: ASH Annual Report 2015 “In the nearly 50 years since ASH started taking action, 2015 stands out as one of our most successful. I truly believe that we have turned a corner, and that victory, for the first time, may be in sight.” Laurent Huber ASH Executive Director
BAT PETITION Thank you all for your support of our joint petition in January. This week, ASH joined allies (Corporate Accountability International, Public Citizen, & International Labor Rights Forum) to deliver 45,091 petition signatures to the U.S. Department of Justice, calling on DOJ to open an investigation on British American
