When we think of tobacco, a lot of health issues immediately spring to mind – lung cancer, throat cancer, cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, asthma. But tobacco products also wreak havoc on our environment, a problem that is often overlooked. Tobacco is harmful to the environment throughout the product cycle –
The theme for World No Tobacco Day on May 31, an annual initiative of WHO and the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is plain packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging prohibits the use of logos, colours, and promotional labelling on cigarettes and hand-rolled tobacco and gives
Help ASH participate in the 7th round of the tobacco treaty negotiations in India this November. Every donation made from June 1 – 30, 2016 will be matched by a private donor, up to $2,000. Building on our policy successes at the preceding 6 global negotiation sessions for the Framework
ASH Policy Director Chris Bostic, Richard Daynard, and Tamar Lawrence-Samuel (Corporate Accountability International) shed some light on the untapped potential in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. “Article 19 has similar—if not greater—potential to curb the operations of the industry, and therefore the tobacco epidemic.” Read on>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org Does Tobacco Violate Human Rights? Inter-American Commission Ponders Question WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 6, 2016 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard testimony from experts yesterday on why tobacco should be considered a human rights issue. The thematic
The Secretariat for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recently sent the following Note Verbal to all Missions of Parties in Geneva to alert them to prevent interference from the tobacco industry on the tracking and tracing system. FCTC Secretariat Note Verbale_industry interference_4-Mar-2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Email: arendtm@ash.org New Global Anti-tobacco Leadership After twelve years of success, ASH passes FCA baton to HealthBridge WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 20, 2016 – After more than a decade of successful leadership and myriad public health victories, Laurent Huber of Action on Smoking and
Making Priorities into our Reality This year has been one filled with milestones for the public health and tobacco control communities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), call on governments to strengthen the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
December 10th is recognized worldwide as Human Rights Day. It commemorates the anniversary of the day that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The UDHR and other human rights treaties, both international and regional, protect myriad rights around the world, including
Dutch government draws up rules for contacts with tobacco industry via Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation Amsterdam, 9 November 2015 – The court in The Hague ruled against the Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation today in the case against the Dutch State over illegal contacts of the government with the tobacco industry
ASH’s Tobacco Industry Monitoring (TIM) program works to track and publicize tobacco industry behavior. Our TIM program stems from Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which obligates national governments to prevent the tobacco industry from interfering in tobacco regulation. The more light we can shine
Could tobacco executives/corporations be found guilty of human right violations? ASH is investigating the possibility of holding tobacco corporations responsible for tobacco-related deaths under human rights laws. These charges, for example, a violation of the right to life or right to health, among many others, would be levied against governments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org UN Officially Recognizes that Tobacco Makes the World Poorer Sustainable Development Goals Adopted at UN Summit NEW YORK, NY – Friday, September 25, 2015 – Today, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a plan
The American Society of International Law ( ASIL), the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ( ACS CAN), and ASH hosted: Tobacco and International Law: Evaluating and Enforcing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Wednesday, September 16, 2015 The world’s first public health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco
When ASH first began its post-2015 UN development agenda campaign in 2013, it was perceived as nearly impossible to integrate tobacco control into the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), let alone the Financing for Development (FfD) process. At this point, we are on our way to checking both items off
Many Americans view smoking, and secondhand smoke, as a problem that has mostly been solved, at least in the United States. However, only half of all Americans are protected from exposure to secondhand smoke, whether in public places or at work. Several countries around the world have achieved complete protection
An article written by ASH Staff Attorney Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy was recently published in the American Bar Association’s “International Law News.” The article discusses the growing problem of tobacco use in Latin American countries. There are 145 million current smokers in Latin America, more than half of whom will die from
In the past two and half years, ASH has been working to ensure that tobacco control is included in the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are being created to set countries’ development agendas for the next 15 years. In the expiring UN Millennium Development Goals, tobacco control
This week, several representatives of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) will be attending the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi. WCTOH is a five-day scientific conference where presenters highlight the latest developments in tobacco control and the efforts around the world to reduce tobacco use. This
Tobacco products kill more people than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. Left unchecked, tobacco use will kill 1 billion people this century. As one state Supreme Court recently noted, cigarettes likely constitute “the most dangerous product lawfully sold” to consumers. The lethal consequences of smoking
Smoke-free in the Skies, but not on the Ground Just 25 years ago, smoking was a pervasive norm. People could smoke at work, in restaurants, and even on airplanes. Non-smokers were exposed to second hand smoke often and for extended periods of time. Twenty five years ago today, a huge
“Health must become a priority. The time is now,” said global tobacco control advocates in the Framework Convention Alliance video. They emphasize the importance of this year, 2015, and that leaders must raise their ambitions for humanity. They also encourage the general public to stand up and speak out. The
