December 5, 2022 – The first of five Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings for the UN Plastics Pollution treaty is finished. The plan is to approve a final text roughly two years from now, which will be handed over to the UN Environmental Assembly for adoption. Then it will be opened
December 1, 2022 – Today, ASH was able to make a second intervention during the plenary discussions on the role of nongovernmental stakeholders in negotiations going forward. Many thanks to our allies in the environmental coalition for their vital input. Here is our intervention, to give you a taste of
November 30, 2022 – Today, several delegations mentioned the need to ensure basic human rights as we hammer out a treaty to end plastics pollution. This got me to thinking. It should be all about human rights. In the discussions leading up to INC-1, as I’ve mentioned previously, “inclusiveness” has
November 29, 2022 – The highlight of today was a three-hour Multi-Stakeholder Forum. If that title sets off your radar, your radar is well-calibrated. The industries that have caused the plastic pollution problem were given the same platform and respect as civil society groups struggling to stop them. Some were
November 28, 2022 – Greetings from Punta del Este. Today is an historic day in the history of environmental protection. At 10:00am local time, the first round of negotiations for the global plastics pollution treaty got under way. Whether it was a good day or a bad is to be
ASH is proud to be a founding and organizing member for the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA), a global coalition of 100 public health organizations who recognize the crucial intersection of tobacco control and environmental health. STPA will actively participate in the UN plastics treaty negotiations from November 2022 through
Media Contact: Megan Arendt-Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 ASH Welcomes Protection from Flavored Tobacco Products in California WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 9, 2022 – Yesterday, Californians voted in favor of protecting our children from flavored tobacco products. After two years of delayed implementation because of tobacco industry interference, California
Media Contact: Megan Arendt-Manning (202) 659 – 4310 Professor Stephen P. Marks, Harvard Professor Emeritus, Joins Action on Smoking and Health Board of Trustees Esteemed Leadership and Wisdom will help Address Tobacco as a Human Rights Concern WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 3, 2022 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH US)
The Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) is a global coalition of 100 public health organizations, listed below, who recognize the crucial intersection of tobacco control and environmental health. STPA will actively participate in the UN plastics treaty negotiations from November 2022 through 2024 and remain active to ensure strong implementation of
In 2021, despite operating under the global COVID-19 pandemic, ASH implemented numerous programs to accomplish its Mission, “to advocate for innovative legal and policy measures to end the global tobacco epidemic.” Click here to read ASH’s 2021 Annual Report> ASH’s programs advanced health policy at the local, national, and global
Media Contact: Megan Arendt-Manning (202) 659 – 4310 Decades of Dedication: Dr. Alfred Munzer’s Career in Public Health New Video Commemorates Dr. Munzer’s Extensive Impact on Lung Health WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 25, 2022 – After years of dedicated service as the Chair of the ASH Board of Trustees, Dr.
On October 17, 2022, the Massachusetts Superior Court granted a motion to dismiss filed by the City of Brookline against a lawsuit challenging their Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) rule. Read the memo and order here> This first-in-the-nation TFG law disallows the sale of tobacco products to anyone born this century. This
Nearly every noun in the English language seems to get a day we’re supposed to note or even celebrate. There is a National Pumpkin Day (October 26) as well as a National Pumpkin Spice Day (October 1). Today, October 17th, is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. I
UN Committee calls on Germany: Protect children from second-hand smoke, tobacco advertising and child labour Joint Statement from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Unfairtobacco who submitted parallel reports to the UN Committee calling for these recommendations BERLIN, GERMANY and WASHINGTON, DC, USA
There are only two examples of the Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) policy in the world – Balanga City, Philippines (the law is enjoined pending a tobacco industry lawsuit) and Brookline, Massachusetts (not enjoined but also being sued by the industry). This represents a population of around 160,000; not a terribly large
Summer 2022 – ASH staff was fortunate enough to be accepted to participate in an extensive research course called “Tobacco Industry Monitoring, Research and Accountability” hosted by our partners at the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) through the University of Bath, England. The team at TCRG are experts in investigative
Media Contact: Megan (Arendt) Manning (202) 659 – 4310 2022 C. Everett Koop Unsung Hero Awarded to Dr. Carolyn Dresler RIDGEWAY, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 – Today, the American Lung Association honored Dr. Carolyn Dresler with the 2022 C. Everett Koop Unsung Hero Award. Named after the 1980s U.S.
Media Contact: Megan Manning (202) 390-9513 The Spanish Government Must Protect Health Over the Tobacco Industry 127 Health and Civil Rights Associations Demand that No New Tobacconist Licenses be Granted nor Renewed MADRID, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) joins the 127 health, civil
September 2022 – This year, many people and organizations have focused their energy on social justice, and ASH is no exception. As you may know, this summer, ASH led 120 organizations in submitting a report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The United States was up
June 2022 – ASH staff had the opportunity to participate in the United Nations Human Rights Council 50th session, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Human Rights Council is an “inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for
Author: Alexa Arejian, ASH Project Assistant August 2022 – This year, the National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) was hosted in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. NCTOH is one of the largest U.S. conferences for tobacco control professionals and focuses on best practice
Guest Author: Dr. Carolyn Dresler, ASH Volunteer The FDA has recently made several exciting announcements, proposing new rules and making decisions about tobacco products. For one, JUUL is to be removed from the market, but, unsurprisingly, the industry sued the next day for a ‘stay’. The FDA just closed a
120 Organizations Call on UN Committee to Recommend US Remove Menthol Tobacco Companies’ Marketing Tactics Violate Black Americans’ Right to be Free from Racial Discrimination Washington, DC – August 9, 2022 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), and the DC Tobacco-Free
Tobacco companies have long targeted youth with their products. Adding flavors to tobacco products plays a crucial role in youth and young adult use of tobacco products. Research shows that children and adolescents have more of a preference towards sweet flavors than adults. Nearly three-quarters — 72.7% — of young
July 2022 – ASH staff attended the 7th ENSP European Conference on Tobacco Control (ECTC) in Greece. This was a valuable opportunity to host a workshop, present on the environment, and host a panel on the tobacco endgame, while networking with partners from across Europe. Given that Greece has the
