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
There are less than 850 days remaining until the current MDGs expire. This past week at the UN General Assembly, member states gathered together to discuss progress on the MDGs to date and looked forward to the post-2015 development agenda. They renewed their commitment to achieve the MDGs by the
Yesterday, the Special Event on Millennium Development goals or MDGs allowed country delegates to discuss their development progress to date. Some distinguished speakers from around the world also spoke. Our Executive Director Laurent Huber was there. Throughout the event, the delegates discussed the important work taking place on the MDGs,
Noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs for short, are diseases you can’t just catch; they are caused by various risk factors. Some examples of NCDs are heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and cancer. NCDs are a major threat to global health and development. These diseases are spreading at a rapid rate in
The 68th United Nations General Assembly began yesterday. Everyone is excited and charged up to see what will come out of this week, including us at ASH. At all of the events that we’ve attended so far, civil society has been encouraged to be involved in the post-2015 development agenda.
By Chris Bostic, ASH Deputy Director for Policy August 14th was a strange day in my professional life. I have worked to fight the global tobacco epidemic for almost exactly 12 years now, and there have been highs and lows. One of the biggest of each came on that Wednesday.
September is quickly approaching, which means New York City will soon be buzzing with excitement surrounding the start of the high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly’s 68th session, where the post-2015 development agenda will be a key focus of discussion. All of these events will serve as the next
On the threat from trade agreements to tobacco regulations, few have been able to come as close to the heart of the matter as Mayor Bloomberg. His opinion piece in today’s New York Times in reaction to President Obama’s reversal on tobacco in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement brilliantly summarizes why
A few weeks ago, you may have seen some press about an “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” from the Food and Drug Administration regarding menthol cigarettes. In government-speak, this means that the FDA intends to regulate menthol additives in cigarettes and is giving the public a chance to chime in.
By Al Munzer Chair, Board of Trustees, Action for Smoking and Health (ASH) The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was developed in response to globalisation of the tobacco epidemic, and has been widely embraced by the world community. The FCTC now includes 176 parties, representing 88.6 percent of
From May 29-30, the United States Trade Representative held hearings on the upcoming negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). May 20, 2013, ASH’s Chris Bostic testified about tobacco, urging the U.S. to exclude it from the treaty. The text of his verbal comments is below. To read
I wonder if Philip Morris International (PMI) researchers have studied the ‘length of public memory.’ If so, the resulting answer seems to be ‘about 15 years.’ That’s how long it has been since the Tobacco Institute closed its doors, after 40 years of obfuscating the science on tobacco addiction, disease
It is with deep sadness that Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) announces the passing of devoted ASH Trustee and former Chair, Martin Adam Jacobs, on May 14, 2013. Mr. Jacobs was a true pioneer in the public health movement. His vision prompted him to take action against the tobacco
CALL TO ACTION: Protect Our Children! Today we ask each of you to take a moment to support the cause of a 24-year-old Michigan State University graduate and recently naturalized American citizen, Greg Holland, as he petitions the White House ( https://wh.gov/Mj4J) to protect children from tobacco smoke while riding
Tobacco advertising is everywhere – in magazines, outside nearly every store and gas station, and inside convenience shops. Ads are often right at a child’s eye level. Legislation only exists in the U.S. to limit and not to prevent all of this: 1973 – Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act
Thailand continues its leadership in protecting its citizens from the ravages of tobacco. ASH congratulates them on the world’s largest health warnings!
The new form released by the Center for Tobacco Products allows the public to report potential violations of the Tobacco Control Act and its related regulations. In turn this enables the FDA to monitor compliance with laws. Below is a sample list from the FDA’s website highlighting some of the
A U.S. district court has ordered tobacco companies to issue and to pay for “corrective statements” in order to rectify decades of lying and manipulation. Here is what you can expect on the Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke: A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco
A U.S. district court has ordered tobacco companies to issue and to pay for “corrective statements” in order to rectify decades of lying and manipulation. Here is what you can expect on the Manipulation of Cigarette Design and Composition to Ensure Optimum Nicotine Delivery: A Federal Court has ruled that
A U.S. district court has ordered tobacco companies to issue and to pay for “corrective statements” in order to rectify decades of lying and manipulation. Here is what you can expect on the Lack of Significant Health Benefits from Smoking “Low Tar,” “Light,” “Ultra-Light,” “Mild,” and “Natural” Cigarettes: A Federal
A U.S. district court has ordered tobacco companies to issue and to pay for “corrective statements” in order to rectify decades of lying and manipulation. Here is what you can expect on the Addictiveness of Smoking and Nicotine: Addictiveness of Smoking and Nicotine A Federal Court has ruled that the
Can you imagine a tobacco company not only admitting that smoking and secondhand smoke cause disease, but admitting that they lied about it for decades? How about tobacco executives “seeing the light” and renouncing the sale of a product that, when used as they intend, kills? Okay, that last one
Philip Morris lobbyist reappointed to committee that should regulate lobbies and revolving doors policy for commissioners. European transparency groups Corporate European Observatory, Lobby Control, and Corporate Accountability International, have lodged a complaint with the European Commission, over the reappointment of a tobacco lobbyist to the Commission’s own ethical committee. Former
