A Letter from the Chair of the Board of Trustees Carolyn Dresler, MD, MPA Dear Friends and Supporters of ASH, It is my great honor to write to you as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). For nearly sixty years, ASH
Media Contact: Megan Manning (202) 659 – 4310 ASH Honors Outgoing Board Chair Doug Blanke and Introduces New Board Chair Carolyn Dresler, MD, MPA A Tribute to Service and the Next Era of Progress WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 13, 2026 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) extends our deepest gratitude
ASH’s work is based on the principle that the actions of the tobacco industry – producing, marketing, and selling addictive products that kill when use as intended – violate human rights, for example the right to health. As such, ASH focuses on 4 key areas of work: (1) Phasing out the
By: Chris Bostic, ASH Policy Director Some rays of light in a cloudy world: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.” These lines are a personal mantra and emotional survival tool.
Guest Author: Raven Twilling, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator at Bay Area Community Resources The Youth Advocacy Committee (YAC) functions as an internship program for high school students in Marin County, designed to amplify youth voices in tobacco and nicotine prevention and policy advocacy. Each year, we engage a new cohort of
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org Statement from Laurent Huber on United Nations Political Declaration on NCDs at HLM4 December 16, 2025 Action on Smoking and Health welcomes the Political Declaration from the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion
Is a future where no one dies because of commercial tobacco products within our reach? Yes! What once seemed like an impossible goal is now within our reach. 2025 has taken us several steps closer to this goal, and ASH is proud to have been a leader in realizing this
“There can be no doubt that the production and marketing of tobacco is irreconcilable with the human right to health,” concluded the Danish Institute for Human Rights after their assessment of Philip Morris International (PMI). As such, it’s essential to integrate human rights reporting and their resulting enforcement mechanisms into
ASH is proud of its achievements in 2024, but we recognize that tobacco continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and the world. While we have helped reduce smoking prevalence, global population growth means there are more people smoking at the end of 2024 than
The eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP 11) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including FCTC/COP11(12) Mobilization by Parties of sustainable resources for tobacco control. ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the governing body of the Framework Convention
The Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP11) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including FCTC/COP11(5) Forward-looking tobacco control measures (in relation to Article 2.1 of the WHO FCTC). ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the
The Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP11) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including FCTC/COP11(10) Implementation of Article 18 of the WHO FCTC. ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the governing body of the Framework
The eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP 11) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including FCTC/COP11(6) Implementation of Article 19 of the WHO FCTC on Liability ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the governing body of the Framework
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 390 – 9513 Nations Advance Global Health at WHO Tobacco Treaty Negotiations Decisions on Liability, Environment and Forward-Looking Measures Blaze a Path towards Endgame GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – NOVEMBER 22, 2025 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) led an esteemed delegation to the 11th Conference of
November 22, 2025 – The theme of COP 11 was “Uniting Generations for a Tobacco-Free Future;” a theme which turned out to be an apt indicator of the progress that was made. Article 2.1- Forward Looking Measures In advance of the COP, an Expert Group met and drafted a report
November 21, 2025 – Throughout the opening statements by the Parties at the COP Plenary on Day 1, government delegations were consistent in congratulating the President of the Convention, and then they would go through the various articles to which they claimed compliance. It was so very striking how minimal
November 20, 2025 – As predicted in the Day 3 blog, debate about the Article 2.1 Expert Group report and decision on Forward Looking Measures (also known as tobacco endgame) soaked up time until the end of the day. These measures are broadly grouped under four domains: tobacco supply, institutional structure/market,
November 19, 2025 – The third day of COP11 had mixed outcomes. Agenda items included making UN campuses nicotine and aerosol free, Article 18 on the Environment, and Article 19 on Liability as well as Article 2.1 Forward-Looking Measures (FLMs) – all ASH priorities. Article 19 on Liability was a
November 18, 2025 – Today the COP shifted in high gear and began debating substantive issues. First on the docket is Article 2.1, Forward-Looking Measures (FLMs). ASH has taken a lead on this issue for the civil society community for one important reason – the report on FLMs that the
Throughout the WHO FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP), the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC) awards the Orchid to a stand out Party and the Dirty Ashtray to a Party working counter to a strong FCTC. On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Mexico won the Orchid Award in the GATC
November 17, 2025 – Greetings from Geneva and the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The COP officially began today, but of course a lot of the work is done before the first gavel falls. The day began with a civil society
Across the United States, more and more communities are taking action to protect their residents from the deadly, manipulative tactics of the tobacco industry. What was once considered an ambitious vision—the tobacco endgame—is rapidly becoming a reality at the local level. In Massachusetts, 19 towns (as of November 5, 2025)
Author: Angeline Morgado, ASH Policy Intern The Breaking Free Nicotine Liberation Summit, organized by Amplify Love, was an open invitation to consider how tobacco control and treatment (cessation) have traditionally been approached, challenging us to reflect on how identity has historically shaped access and representation among tobacco control advocates. It
Media Contact: Megan Manning ManningM@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 Tobacco Industry Interference Reaches New Heights in U.S. New Report from ASH Details Violations of Global Best Practices and Recommendations WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 30, 2025 – Today, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) released the 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference
The tobacco industry’s influence in U.S. policymaking has reached an alarming new level. According to the newly released 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the United States now ranks 98th out of 100 countries — its worst score ever — when it comes
