“Tobacco use alone costs the world 1-2% of its GDP each year,” Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Program told the United Nations on July 11th. The world’s GDP in 2013 was nearly $75 trillion. One percent of the world’s GDP makes the global cost of tobacco higher
In 2013, New York City passed a law (Local Law 1021-A-2013) that sets a minimum price for cigarettes sold in the city. The law also prohibits the use of coupons or promotional discounts to lower that price. Tobacco companies challenged the law on the grounds that it violated their First
It can be hard for modern Americans to understand the amount of influence and harm US society has suffered as a result of tobacco. It’s easy to see the disconnect, as it has been over five decades since more than ½ of the men and a 1/3 of the women
Many Americans believe that the war on tobacco has been won, but the fact is the number of smokers is climbing globally. The World Health Organization estimates that 100 million people died as a result of tobacco use in the 20th century, a staggering figure. But unless we take greater
Annually, the tobacco industry contributes over $1.6 million to federal candidates and spends approximately $16.6 million lobbying Congress. This money buys the tobacco industry access to government officials and influence over laws. This is a serious problem, because, there is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests
In a recent message, an ASH ally used this famous quote to encapsulate the long and arduous journey they’d embarked on to advocate for their government’s complete ban of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by the tobacco industry. But let’s take a step back. What is CSR, and why is tobacco
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS—form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. The UN is now working
The Chamber of Commerce is undercutting its trade agenda by supporting Big Tobacco. Since early in 2011, much of our attention here at ASH has been focused on the nexus between trade and tobacco, in particular on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). If you have followed this issue, you’ve seen
Statement of ASH Executive Director Laurent Huber Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new rules that will extend its regulatory authority to include electronic cigarettes as well as cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine gels, water pipe tobacco and hookahs. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) applauds the FDA’s action
Cigarette butts are the most littered item worldwide. Smokers litter cigarette butts rather than disposing of them properly 65% of the time, which results in approximately 845,000 tons (1.69 BILLION pounds) of cigarette butts as toxic trash each year. Data shows that “in 2010, over one million (1,181,589) cigarettes or
A Federal High Court in Nigeria recently upheld the power of Nigeria’s Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to impound products considered to be harmful or that constitute a health hazard to the unsuspecting Nigerian public – in this case, cigarettes. In February 2013, CPC made an inspection visit to the Nigerian
The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, the largest civil litigation settlement in U.S. history, dramatically changed tobacco control in the United States. The settlement, between the major tobacco companies (Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, and Lorillard) and 46 U.S. States, banned advertising that targets children, eliminated billboard advertising, and
This January marked the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon’s General report on Smoking and Health. On that anniversary, a new Surgeon General’s report, The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress, was released. Read the report here> That report indicates that since the first report in 1964, more than
The UN Secretary General released his progress report on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) from 2011 to the present. This report was mandated by the Political Declaration on NCDs. It serves as the first step in the preparations for the 2014 UN Review and Assessment on NCDs. In the report, it explains
My parents have always told me that they knew I would become a lawyer from a young age because of my favorite childhood expression- “That’s not fair!” As I got older, I never stopped feeling that some things just weren’t fair. I have a passion for the pursuit of justice,
Since e-cigarettes hit the market, they have been the subject of intense debate. Are electronic cigarettes a cessation tool or an alternative smoking device? Should they be subject to the same smoke-free air laws as tobacco products? Should they be taxed at a similar rate as cigarettes? In Toulouse, France,
I fight for the health of our future leaders, the children across the world. I do not want any child to grow up with the health struggles that I have had to endure since my early childhood. People take for granted basics things, such as breathing. As a child, I
Chile became the 14th Latin American country to ban smoking in public places. Read more about the law here> Bangladesh enacted a new law that strengthens the country’s efforts to reduce tobacco use by banning sales to minors, including pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging and increasing the fine for smoking
New York City signed into law a bill that prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from buying tobacco products. Read the full article here> Louisiana passed a law that prohibits smoking on the grounds of all Louisiana college campuses. Read about campus smoking bans here> The governors of Oregon
The U.S. failed in a last-ditch effort to complete the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) earlier this week in Singapore, pushing the free trade agreement negotiations to 2014. A number of disagreements among the negotiating countries remain, but one of the most important is how to deal with tobacco. The draft
She made every holiday special. She would fill Easter baskets with candy, carve pumpkins, make me beautiful Halloween costumes, and spend hours trimming the Christmas tree. And she smoked. She talked to me, listened to me and encouraged me. She was my best friend. And she smoked. I don’t have
Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the case of Burrage v. United States. The case focuses on a federal law that requires a mandatory sentence for a drug dealer if “death or serious injury” results from drugs they sold. During oral arguments, much of the court’s discussion focused
The impact of trade on tobacco can seem complicated, but there are only 5 main things you need to know. Number 1: Tobacco is unique among consumer products. When used exactly as intended, tobacco products kill. Therefore, tobacco should be exempted or “carved out” from trade agreements. Number 2: Free
