Author: Chris Bostic, Policy Director, Action on Smoking and Health The FCTC changed the world and my life. I had a strange start to my career in tobacco policy. My very first exposure to that cause and community was not as a local volunteer or through a college internship. It
Author: Dr. Alfred Munzer, Director of Pulmonary Medicine Washington Adventist Hospital, Washington, DC; Former President, American Lung Association and Board Member, Action on Smoking and Health I had a long and successful career as a pulmonologist treating many hundreds of patients with lung disease, but lending my voice to the
Author: Laurent Huber, Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health; former Director, Framework Convention Alliance It has been 25 years since the WHO FCTC negotiations began and 20 years since its entry into force. In May 1999, the World Health Assembly adopted Resolution WHA 52.18, giving the green light for
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entering into force. The FCTC is a landmark treaty, the first global public health treaty, and has transformed the global fight against tobacco-related harm. Since its adoption in 2003, the FCTC has been a beacon of
The tobacco industry is relentlessly targeting women in Luxembourg, using advertisements that portray smoking as glamorous and sexy. But the truth is far darker: tobacco kills millions, and these aggressive marketing tactics violate women’s human rights. We Are Taking Action. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Fondation Cancer, and Génération
Access to robust, evidence-based smoking cessation is essential for improving public health and reducing healthcare costs. Across the U.S. and around the world, cities, states and countries do not provide equal access to nor equal support of the necessary tobacco cessation services. Advocates and policymakers play a crucial role in
Leaving the World Health Organization is Bad for Public Health Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659-4310 WASHINGTON, DC – January 21, 2025 – Less than a day into his second term, President Trump began the process to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). During his first
Media Contact Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 Massachusetts Nicotine-Free Generation Bill Introduced: A Sensible Step Toward Ending the Tobacco Epidemic Boston, MA – January 16, 2025 – Today, a new piece of legislation, aimed at phasing out the sale of nicotine products, was introduced in the Massachusetts Senate.
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org Statement from Laurent Huber, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health January 15, 2025 Action on Smoking and Health welcomes the Biden administration’s proposed rule to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels. Nearly half a million people in the U.S. die each year
The magnitude of the tobacco problem is extremely obvious, and the solutions to address this problem should be simple. The health harm is clear: tobacco is responsible for more than 8 million deaths per year. The environmental impact is also significant as every year the tobacco industry costs the world
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
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took the first step toward a new rule forcing the tobacco industry to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, by submitting the rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the waning days of the Biden
Originally appeared in CHEST Physician; reprinted with permission from the American College of Chest Physicians Unpacking the CMS changes BY MATTHEW BARS, MS, CTTS, CPAHA-TOBACCO TREATMENT, AND EVAN STEPP, MD, FCCP FOR THE CHEST TOBACCO/VAPING WORK GROUP The recent changes enacted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Thank you for supporting ASH from around the world! Our groundbreaking mission of reaching ZERO deaths from tobacco is made possible by supporters like you. With one person dying every 4.5 seconds from a tobacco-related disease, we must act quickly Select “card” as your payment option below. Then you can
Democracy – Big Tobacco’s Achilles Heel When the ball fell at midnight to inaugurate 2024, only one place in the world had implemented a birthdate-based phase-out of the sale of tobacco products: Brookline, Massachusetts. The law had already been in effect for three years. In March, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial
All of ASH’s programs are based on the foundational concept that tobacco violates the right to health of all people. We take a human rights-based approach to tobacco control. Our liability program focuses on utilizing the courts and legal systems to protect the right to health from the harms of
Sunday, December 1, 2024 – Member States met in Informal and Regional Sessions today behind closed doors, without the participation of Observers for the third day in a row. A revised Chair’s non paper text was released late in the day. Cigarette filters made of plastic remain in an optional Annex. Plenary
Saturday, November 30, 2024 – We’re disappointed to report that Observers were unable to participate again today as all sessions were Informal Consultations for Member States only. We understand that yet another new version of text will be available at some point this evening. We’ll provide the link as soon
Friday, November 29, 2024 – We learned early this morning that the agenda would only include Informal Consultations with a Plenary at 7:00pm. It’s important to note that Observers like ASH’s delegation and our environmental organization allies are not permitted to access Informal Consultations. Late in the day, we learned
Guest Contribution: The Filter Myth: Widespread Misconceptions Among INC5 Attendees Could Undermine Efforts to Ban Cigarette Filters in the Global Plastics Treaty Geoffrey T. Fong, OC, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS University Professor of Psychology and Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo Senior Investigator, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Shannon Gravely, PhD
Updates from the Floor November 27, 2024 – Contact Group 1 continued this morning with several Member States and groups of Member States presenting proposals for text for Article 3 – Plastic Products and Chemicals of Concern as Used in Plastic Products. As anticipated, there was broad support and broad
Guest Contribution Amélie ESCHENBRENNER (Communications Manager, Comité National Contre le Tabagisme) and Raquel VENÂNCIO (Senior Policy Officer, Smoke Free Partnership) attended the EU stakeholder meeting and reports: During the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission stakeholders meeting for NGOs and Civil Society on Tuesday, 16th
Monday, November 25, 2024 – Thank you to the Republic of Korea and our local colleagues for your warm hospitality and for welcoming us all to your lovely city of Busan. Yesterday, regional consultations were held, and NGO observers were invited to attend an informal session for discussions with INC
This week, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a Report on “Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities.” This is the 35th Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health since 1964, a series of instrumental reports that inspired the name of our organization: Action on Smoking and Health. ASH welcomes this report,
Media Contact Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 Santa Cruz County’s First-in-the-World Cigarette Filter Ban Passed SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29, 2024 – Today, the Board of Supervisors of Santa Cruz County, California finalized its approval of a ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes and cigars. The sales
