February 7, 2024 – Today was another packed day for the ASH delegation here in Panama.

Several of ASH’s policy priorities have come up on the agenda of the COP. Unfortunately, fruitful debates on these items have been delayed because of country Parties spouting tobacco industry rhetoric. However, that has not stopped the COP from making progress, and we are confident that the majority of the country Parties have the best interests of public health at heart.

ASH Executive Director Laurent Huber spoke on a prestigious panel organized by the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Articles 17 & 18 (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation), Brazil, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub for Article 5.3 (Thammasat University). He discussed the extensive environmental impact of the tobacco supply chain and which FCTC COP10 decisions can help mitigate that harm. Huber also called out tobacco industry greenwashing efforts that serve as a distraction to the root harm caused by the tobacco industry’s deadly business model and true solutions to the epidemic.

At the same time, ASH Policy Director Chris Bostic spoke on an important panel covering Forward Looking Tobacco Control Measures, hosted by the government of Canada and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC). Bostic discussed the current tobacco endgame landscape worldwide and the human rights basis for the endgame movement.

Tomorrow is an important day for the COP, with several key substantive issues up for debate. We are hoping for less tobacco industry interference and more positive steps toward ending the tobacco epidemic.