[Editor’s Note: The following is written by Mr. Perkins and shared with his consent] After working 8 years in the manufacturing industry, in 1972 I became disabled due to exposure to welding fumes and airborne pollutants, causing me to undergo 3 weeks of treatment at Salem (Mass.) Hospital. After that,
As we write this, no one is smoking inside of our office. We rode the metro this morning with no one smoking on the train or the platform, and we can meet friends for dinner tonight where no one will smoke around us. That feels like we are in the
Below are an essay and video ASH received from a 6th grader known as A.C.R.S. at Weston Middle School in Weston, CT. She argues a strong and well-cited case like a seasoned veteran in our field, simplifying an often challenging program of work to convince her readers of the strong
Philip Morris Managing Director for the United Kingdom, Peter Nixon, was a guest on Good Morning Britain on March 13, 2019, claiming to want to stop selling cigarettes in favor of “less harmful” nicotine addiction products. The anchors were having none of it, repeatedly asking him why, if Philip Morris is
In our work, we spend a lot of time arguing for people’s rights. The right to be free from targeted advertising by the tobacco industry. The right to access cessation products. The right to be free from second hand smoke. The right to be free of addiction. We are also
I figured out the hard way that tobacco is the BIG LIE of our times. Both my parents smoked, as did their parents, and many of my friends. It would have been socially advantageous for me to smoke, and I actually did try, but got miserably sick from my efforts.
We hope you’ve had a healthy and happy 2018. Here at ASH, it’s been a productive year. One thing we are very proud of is how much our small staff of 6 people accomplishes. We wanted to share with you some of our achievements this year and the fantastic team
One of ASH’s programs seeks to hold tobacco corporations and executives criminally responsible for the deaths and disease caused by their products. To that end, we work with organizations around the world who are trying to convince a prosecutor to open a criminal case in their home country. Our partners in
December 10 is international Human Rights Day, in observation of the day that the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document set out, for the first time, the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being. It’s also the world’s
It is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of our friend, mentor and public health hero, Dr. Caleb Otto, former Ambassador from Palau to the United Nations. Dr. Otto not only did not think we were crazy when we asked him to consider the idea to integrate
Recently the Philippines Tobacco Institute, which represents Philip Morris International (PMI), among other tobacco companies, filed two lawsuits against the small city of Balanga in the Philippines. Litigation is a tried and trusted tool for the tobacco industry, especially against small or poor jurisdictions like Balanga. The goal is not to
By Laurent Huber, Executive Director The tobacco control community is at a crossroads. The evidence in unequivocal: the most widely consumed nicotine delivery product, combustible cigarettes, an addictive and lethal product, kills more than 7 million people every year, and this number is still rising. The tobacco control community was
2017 has been a very exciting year at ASH. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, announced our pivot away from “tobacco control” and towards “cigarette free” and earned numerous victories across each of our programs. As we begin looking forward into 2018 and beyond, we want to share with you how
On the Shoulders of a Giant When I heard the news of 50 newspapers in the USA running full page ads against smoking it was a bitter-sweet moment. Let me explain why it was so personal. My father, Frederick C. Chesterman, was a medical student at the Middlesex Hospital back
We often refer to tobacco as an epidemic. But what does that really mean? And does tobacco-related death and disease really compare to diseases that decimated the population? The CDC defines an epidemic as an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally
**UPDATE 3** – Beginning on November 26, 2017 the public will begin seeing long-awaited “corrective statements” by the tobacco industry on television and in newspapers. The major U.S. tobacco companies were ordered by the court to issue these ads because those companies had “deliberately deceived” the American public about topics
Friends, Deputy Chief Baluga: It is an honor to be asked to say a few words on the occasion of ASH’s 50th Anniversary. Over the past 50 years, ASH has played a significant role in the war on smoking, from its beginnings, with John Banzhaf’s FCC petition leading to free
Philip Morris International announced today that they have pledged $1 billion to work towards a smoke-free world. Some are inclined to greet this announcement with applause; but this venture should instead be viewed with a critical eye and a healthy amount of skepticism. PMI’s financial contribution created a new organization
All countries around the world, including the United States, have committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to strengthen universal peace and eradicate poverty. The harms that tobacco products cause to society are well known. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death,
ASH recognizes Big Tobacco as the vector of the tobacco epidemic, and we work on several fronts to counter attack their deadly products. Read our 2016 Annual Report about how our programs progressed in 2016 and our way forward.
By Yogi Hale Hendlin, PhD, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UCSF We all know tobacco kills. But few stop to consider how tobacco also kills the planet. Especially as it serves no social or nutritional purpose, we should think twice about the environmental impacts of the farming, manufacturing,
By Clif Curtis For decades now, with cigarette sales having increased to more than six trillion in 2016, tobacco producers have refused to accept any significant responsibility for the serious, global environmental damage resulting from the production, use and disposal of tobacco products. It’s time for new regulations that hold
As we mark World Cancer Day, let’s take a moment to envision a day in the future when cancer is no longer ever a death sentence. As our National Cancer Institute presses forward on treatment and research under its Cancer Moonshot initiative, we should also continue looking at ways to
As the year comes to a close, we would like to take the time to thank all of our donors and allies for your ongoing support, 2017 will be very special, as it marks our 50th year as an organization. In honor of this anniversary, I would like to highlight
