Endgame Training Course

Eye on Tobacco

ASH’s Accomplishments in 2020

ASH’s work is based on the principle that the behavior of the tobacco industry, marketing and selling lethal and addictive products, violates human rights.  As such, we carry out 4 key areas of work: (1) Phasing out the commercial sale of tobacco products (aka Project Sunset), (2) Using the law

Index Cover

National Index Shines a Light on Tobacco Industry Interference in Lawmaking

National Index Shines a Light on Tobacco Industry Interference in Lawmaking New Report Released by Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) Exposes What Tobacco Industry Wants Ignored Media Contact: Megan Arendt, ASH (202) 390 – 9513 WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 8, 2020 – Philip Morris Tobacco Company’s internal goals for

Action Review: 1st Quarter Edition 2015

Tobacco and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The inclusion of tobacco control in the Sustainable Development Goals has been in the works for several years. It is due to various advocacy efforts of the Framework Convention Alliance and the support of NGO partners and allied missions in New York and

Pressure to End $30m Tobacco Investment

THE NSW government is considering abandoning tobacco investments after a backlash from health experts and anti-smoking campaigners. It has for the first time admitted to having nearly $30 million invested in tobacco companies. The figures were provided in an answer to a budget estimates question asked by the Greens NSW

‘Smoking Will Kill Up to a Billion People’

Smoking, which is described as the biggestpublic health disaster in the history of the world with its perpetrators likened to terrorists, will kill up to a billion people worldwide this century unless governments across the world stamp down on the half-trillion-dollar tobaccoindustry, cancer experts have warned. John Seffrin, chief executive

China Leader’s Job at Odds With Tobacco Ties, Brookings Says

The brother of Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who oversees public health, should be removed from his post as a top official in China’s state-owned tobacco monopoly to avoid conflicts of interest, a report published by the Washington-based Brookings Institution said. Li, set to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier early

Tobacco Giant Drops Appeal

Philip Morris, the major tobacco producer, has decided not to pursue its legal challenge of a Norwegian law that forbids retailers from displaying tobacco products. The company’s Norwegian unit, Philip Morris Norge, had claimed the law hindered trade of legal products and failed to document the health benefits justifying such

New Website Tracks Tobacco Contributions

A website has been launched that features searchable databases of all campaign contributions and gifts from tobacco lobbyists to state legislators. The website, www.tobacco.money.com, also encourages lawmakers and legislative candidates in Oklahoma to sign a pledge to not accept campaign contributions, meals or other gifts from any tobacco company political

Top 5 Recipients @ tobaccomoney.com

New website tobaccomoney.com highlights campaign contributions and gifts from tobacco lobbyists to members of the Oklahoma State Legislator. Here is a listing of some of the websites top 5 recipients: Top Recipients of Tobacco Lobby Money in the Oklahoma House of Representatives* State Repre sentative Campaign Contributions from Tobacco Lobbyists

Unleashing the Campaign Contributions of Corporations

Way back in February of this year, more than two-thirds of Californians believed raising more money from tobacco companies to finance cancer research was a good idea. That was before industry money kicked in. Don Blankenship, former chief of Massey Energy, supported Brent Benjamin. In just over three months, opponents

Smoke Signals: Plans of Big Tobacco Plain to See

IT’S easy to laugh at Big Tobacco. Fresh from defeat in Australia’s High Court, it has taken its fight against plain cigarette packets to New Zealand where British American Tobacco warns such legislation could expose the nation to legal challenges (no kidding), and to Hong Kong where Philip Morris moved

U.S. Court Strikes Down Graphic Warnings on Cigarettes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down a law that requires tobacco companies to use graphic health warnings, such as of a man exhaling smoke through a hole in his throat. The 2-1 decision by the court in Washington, D.C., contradicts another appeals court’s ruling in

Tobacco Boss Says Some Regulation OK

New Zealand’s tobacco industry is already heavily regulated and the Government’s plain packaging proposals for cigarette packets is a step too far, the country’s biggest cigarette manufacturer has said. In a rare media interview, Steve Rush, general manager of British American Tobacco New Zealand, agreed smoking was harmful and that

Hidden Hand of Big Tobacco Leads to WTO Challenge

BIG tobacco has opened a new front in its war against Australia’s plain packaging law. The World Trade Organisation has revealed that within hours of the government’s victory in the High Court, Ukraine upgraded to formal a complaint against Australia’s law and demanded the establishment of a disputes panel. Australia

Philip Morris International Expands its Portfolio

Dips toe into alternative tobacco products worldwide NEW YORK — Philip Morris International, the largest tobacco company in the world recently announced yet another stream of revenue growth. With more regulation threats being imposed on tobacco companies and smokers, Philip Morris is looking to explore alternatives, according to a contributed

The Global Tobacco Epidemic is Far from Over

The global tobacco epidemic is far from being over. A recent study published in the Lancet suggests that the number of tobacco users remains very high in many parts of the world, particularly low and middle income countries. Over 60% of Russian men and over 28% of Bangladeshi women use

UB Researcher Finds Big Tobacco Has Powerful Global Grip

A new study led by a University at Buffalo researcher shows that Big Tobacco has a strong grip globally, making for a huge challenge when it comes to curbing tobacco use around the world. In what is being described as the world’s largest tobacco-use study, the survey of people from

Fund profits from an addictive investment

THE taxpayer-owned Future Fund is profiting handsomely from tobacco investments, despite Canberra’s plain packaging laws. As the High Court’s landmark ruling in favour of plain packaging triggered a slide in global tobacco stocks, latest figures show the fund’s tobacco shares, valued at $210 million, have delivered far higher returns than

Campaign Against Missouri Cigarette Tax Hike Gears Up

JEFFERSON CITY • Off-brand cigarette-makers are shouldering most of the cost so far of the campaign against a cigarette tax increase on Missouri’s Nov. 6 ballot. Cheyenne International LLC of Grover, N.C., and Xcaliber International LTD LLC of Pryor, Okla., each gave $200,000 this month to the fight against the

Australian Court Approves Tobacco Pack Logo Ban

(Reuters) – Australia called on the world to match its tough new anti-tobacco marketing laws that will ban logos on cigarette packs, after its highest court on Wednesday dismissed a challenge from global manufacturers. The decision means that from December 1 cigarettes and tobacco products must be sold in plain

Imperial Tobacco Admit Giving Staff Free Cigarettes ‘For Research’

New Zealand Tobacco Manufacturer Imperial Tobacco is under investigation for allegedly providing their 250 employees with free cigarettes samples. Imperial Tobacco Commercial Boss Brendan Walker confirmed the giveaways saying “It’s purely for research” and “it’s entirely up to an individual whether they see it as a perk or not”. Legislation

Cigarette Makers Help Fund Anti-Tax Effort

The Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association PAC received a $200,000 donation from Cheyenne International a North Carolina based company and maker of Decade cigarettes. The donation is to help fund the opposition efforts to the Proposition B proposal that would add 73 cents to the cost of a