Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 390 – 9513 Nations Advance Global Health at WHO Tobacco Treaty Negotiations Decisions on Liability, Environment and Forward-Looking Measures Blaze a Path towards Endgame GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – NOVEMBER 22, 2025 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) led an esteemed delegation to the 11th Conference of
November 22, 2025 – The theme of COP 11 was “Uniting Generations for a Tobacco-Free Future;” a theme which turned out to be an apt indicator of the progress that was made. Article 2.1- Forward Looking Measures In advance of the COP, an Expert Group met and drafted a report
November 21, 2025 – Throughout the opening statements by the Parties at the COP Plenary on Day 1, government delegations were consistent in congratulating the President of the Convention, and then they would go through the various articles to which they claimed compliance. It was so very striking how minimal
November 20, 2025 – As predicted in the Day 3 blog, debate about the Article 2.1 Expert Group report and decision on Forward Looking Measures (also known as tobacco endgame) soaked up time until the end of the day. These measures are broadly grouped under four domains: tobacco supply, institutional structure/market,
November 19, 2025 – The third day of COP11 had mixed outcomes. Agenda items included making UN campuses nicotine and aerosol free, Article 18 on the Environment, and Article 19 on Liability as well as Article 2.1 Forward-Looking Measures (FLMs) – all ASH priorities. Article 19 on Liability was a
November 18, 2025 – Today the COP shifted in high gear and began debating substantive issues. First on the docket is Article 2.1, Forward-Looking Measures (FLMs). ASH has taken a lead on this issue for the civil society community for one important reason – the report on FLMs that the
November 17, 2025 – Greetings from Geneva and the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The COP officially began today, but of course a lot of the work is done before the first gavel falls. The day began with a civil society
Media Contact: Megan Manning (202) 390 – 9513 UN Treaty Must Ban Cigarette Filters – Global Health and Environmental Groups Urge Action GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – AUGUST 5, 2025 – Starting today, governments from around the world are meeting in Geneva for the final round of negotiations (INC5.2) for a new
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659-4310 The Maldives Passes National Phase Out of Tobacco Products WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 23, 2025 – On May 21, Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made history by strengthening protections for his 525,994 citizens from the aggressive and deadly tobacco industry. President Muizzu ratified
Author: Laurent Huber, Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health; former Director, Framework Convention Alliance It has been 25 years since the WHO FCTC negotiations began and 20 years since its entry into force. In May 1999, the World Health Assembly adopted Resolution WHA 52.18, giving the green light for
Leaving the World Health Organization is Bad for Public Health Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659-4310 WASHINGTON, DC – January 21, 2025 – Less than a day into his second term, President Trump began the process to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). During his first
Media Contact Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 Massachusetts Nicotine-Free Generation Bill Introduced: A Sensible Step Toward Ending the Tobacco Epidemic Boston, MA – January 16, 2025 – Today, a new piece of legislation, aimed at phasing out the sale of nicotine products, was introduced in the Massachusetts Senate.
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org Statement from Laurent Huber, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health January 15, 2025 Action on Smoking and Health welcomes the Biden administration’s proposed rule to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels. Nearly half a million people in the U.S. die each year
The magnitude of the tobacco problem is extremely obvious, and the solutions to address this problem should be simple. The health harm is clear: tobacco is responsible for more than 8 million deaths per year. The environmental impact is also significant as every year the tobacco industry costs the world
Media Contact Megan Manning manningm@ash.org (202) 659 – 4310 Santa Cruz County’s First-in-the-World Cigarette Filter Ban Passed SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29, 2024 – Today, the Board of Supervisors of Santa Cruz County, California finalized its approval of a ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes and cigars. The sales
Media Contact: Megan Manning (202) 390 – 9513 UN Plastics Treaty Negotiations Move Forward with Strong Support for Banning Cigarette Filters WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30, 2024 – The Fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding treaty on ending plastic pollution, adjourned April 29, 2024, in
HEALTH GROUPS FILE SECOND LAWSUIT AGAINST THE US FDA While the Biden Administration Delays the Rule on Menthol, Death Toll Rises Daily WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 2, 2024 – The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), and the National Medical Association (NMA), represented
February 10, 2024 – COP10 was particularly special because several cross-cutting issues – human rights, the environment, and the tobacco endgame – were on the agenda. ASH and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (then the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) led advocacy for a human rights decision at COP8
February 9, 2024 – Today is the second to last day of the 10th Conference of the Parties, and the Parties still have agenda items left to discuss, but they have also gotten through several of their important agenda items. Yesterday, the government of Ecuador proposed a Decision on the
February 8, 2024 – How the Sausage Gets Made Few of us have ever made actual sausage. But we’ll explain the process anyway, and then compare it to how things get done at FCTC COP. To make sausage, you need some casing, some meat and spices. You grind everything up, and
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
February 6, 2024 – A typical day at the Conference of the Parties begins very early and ends very late, and today was no different. At 7:00 AM, ASH begins by meeting with our civil society allies to discuss strategy for the day. Starting at 9:00 AM, we attend meetings
February 5, 2024 – The in-person portion of the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) began today in Panama City. In a very fitting opening message, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “We must continue advocating for
This has been another fast-paced year in ASH’s fight to protect society from the harm caused by the tobacco industry. A year where we have seen much progress, reached new milestones, and marked major anniversaries though, unfortunately, also a year where we faced painful setbacks as the tobacco industry does
New Zealand Plans to Gut Public Health Policies on Tobacco Sales Statement from Laurent Huber, Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health November 29, 2023 Last week, New Zealand led the way in ending the tobacco epidemic with the most progressive and hard-hitting tobacco policies in the world. This Monday,
