Recently, momentum for a human rights-based approach to tobacco control has been growing, as the human rights field increasingly understands the extreme harm caused by tobacco companies. This is made particularly evident by an important victory in a Concluding Observation from a human rights treaty body– a win that is directly related to advocacy efforts from ASH and our partners in the tobacco control community.
Human rights principles are the foundation of all our work, strategies, and approaches at ASH.
For the last several years, ASH has coordinated a global movement to mobilize advocates to call on UN human rights treaty bodies to help accelerate the tobacco endgame movement by including the harms of the tobacco industry in their reports on how governments can better protect their citizens’ human rights.
Smoking negatively impacts several human rights that are legally protected in UN human rights treaties, such as the right to life, right to health, right to education, children’s rights, women’s rights, and many others.
These human rights are protected by treaties, and the country Parties are obligated to report back to the respective UN treaty bodies. ASH and our partners utilize this opportunity to submit parallel reports, highlight the tobacco industry’s human rights violations, and the actions or inactions of the reporting county in protecting its citizens from the harms of tobacco.
Today’s (DOUBLE!) Victory for Human Rights
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)— the UN human rights treaty body that protects children’s rights — has formally acknowledged the threat of tobacco use among children in both Colombia and Spain.
Colombia
In their concluding observations, the Committee referenced tobacco twice.
“Recalling its general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and general comment No. 20 (2016) on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
….
(e) Ensure the effective implementation of the Comprehensive Policy for the Prevention and Treatment of Psychoactive Substance Use and strengthen concrete measures addressing the prevalence of drug use as well as tobacco and smoking-related emerging products, by children and adolescents and promoting social and emotional education.”
The Committee also expressed that it is “deeply concerned about:
….
(e) The number of children consuming tobacco, including an increase of the use of e-cigarettes, and widespread consumption of alcohol, drugs and other psychoactive substances.”
This concluding observation comes as a result of the report submitted by Red PaPaz, ASH, many of our colleagues in Colombia and around the world to the 100th CRC session in January 2026, as well as a result of our coordinated advocacy in prior years.
Spain
In their concluding observations, the Committee called on Spain that,” Recalling its general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and general comment No. 20 (2016) on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence, the Committee recommends that the State party:
…
(b) Reinforce the information and life skills education on preventing substance abuse—including tobacco and alcohol—and develop accessible, child friendly treatment for drug dependence…”
This concluding observation comes as a result of the report submitted by Nofumadores.org, ASH, many of our colleagues in Spain and around the world to the 100th CRC session in January 2026, as well as a result of our coordinated advocacy in prior years.
How we got to today’s win
ASH has consistently submitted reports to UN treaty bodies, including the CRC, for several years. ASH and our partners worldwide have submitted parallel reports for France, Jamaica, Ecuador, Palau, Romania, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia.
We also worked with our partners at Unfairtobacco to submit a report for Germany, which also resulted in a strong concluding observation from the CRC committee.
Looking Ahead
CRC’s concluding observations for both countries are illustrative of the momentum and progress that ASH is facilitating for the tobacco control community in human rights mechanisms.
By remaining active, present, and engaged at CRC and other human rights mechanisms, we are bringing new advocates into the fight against Big Tobacco, so we can end it faster.
This victory is about justice, equity, and holding the tobacco industry accountable for the human rights violations they cause through the production, manufacture, and sale of a deadly product.
Thank you for standing with ASH and our partners. Your support fuels these wins—and the global movement to end the tobacco epidemic for good.
Amplify this Win on Social Media
Use #TobaccoViolation
Tag us on: Facebook: @ASHglobalAction, Instagram/X: @ASHorg, LinkedIn: Action on Smoking and Health, BlueSky: @ashorg.bsky.social
Sample Posts
1.) Breaking: #CRC called on #Colombia and #Spain to strengthen their national tobacco control policies to prevent children from using tobacco products: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
This changes the global conversation. We can hold governments accountable for their weak tobacco control policies through UN human rights treaty bodies.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
2.) Advocacy Win: #CRC called on #Colombia and #Spain to protect children from using tobacco products through stronger policies: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
We must continue pushing for tobacco to be treated as the human rights issue it is.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
3.) Thank you #CRC for prioritizing #childrensrights and calling on #Colombia and #Spain to protect children from tobacco products: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
Together, we can hold governments accountable for their weak tobacco control policies that harm our children.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
Publicaciones modelo para redes sociales | Combínalas con fotos de Dropbox aquí>
1.) Última hora: El #Cdn instó a #Colombia y #España a fortalecer sus políticas nacionales de control del tabaco para evitar que los niños/as consuman productos de tabaco: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
¡Esto cambia la conversación a nivel mundial! Podemos exigir a los gobiernos que rindan cuentas por políticas débiles de control del tabaco a través de los órganos de tratados de derechos humanos de la ONU.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
2.) Logro en incidencia: #CDN exhortó a #Colombia y #España a proteger a niñas/os y adolescentes del consumo de productos de tabaco mediante políticas más estrictas: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
Debemos seguir impulsando el reconocimiento del tabaco como el problema de derechos humanos que realmente es.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
3.) Gracias #CDN por priorizar los #DerechosDeLaNiñez e instar a #Colombia y #España a proteger a niñas/os y adolescentes de los productos de tabaco: https://ash.org/crc-win-2026
Juntos podemos exigir a los gobiernos que rindan cuentas por políticas débiles de control del tabaco que perjudican a nuestra niñez.
#TobaccoViolation @ashorg
