Social justice is both a public health and a human rights issue, and our work at ASH is designed to improve social justice around the world. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes that social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
By: Chris Bostic, Policy Director at ASH Ending the tobacco epidemic is not only my job but a personal mission in life. William Lloyd Garrison, the “Golden Trumpet” of the abolition movement in the 19th century, said “That which is not just is not law.” I would modify it for
This collaborative analysis from the National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization is the result of several years’ work from noted experts in economics, public health and law. It is the most detailed look yet at the economic harm caused by tobacco use. ASH Deputy Director Chris Bostic was
What will the next four years hold for the anti-tobacco movement in the U.S.? We can’t say for sure, and if the recent track record of pollsters tells us anything, it is that concrete political predictions are a fool’s game. But for those of us concerned about tobacco and public
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org ASH Releases Video to Showcase a New Ending to the Tobacco Story The World We Need WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 17, 2016 – One person dies every six seconds from a tobacco-related disease. We have the power to change that,
French insurer AXA plans to stop investing in the tobacco industry, citing the impact of smoking on public health, and said it plans to sell its 1.8 billion euros ($2.02 billion) of assets in the sector. AXA said it would divest its 200 million euros of equity holdings in tobacco
On June 30, 2015, The New York Times released a tiered investigation to expose the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) affiliates as a front group for Big Tobacco. The New York Times reported that the US Chamber and its affiliates, “use their access to
Public health groups are urging newly minted Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to follow in her husband’s footsteps and take on Big Tobacco. The calls for Clinton to make the issue part of her campaign platform take place amid a growing push to raise the national smoking age to 21.
In Tasmania, Australia last week, a bill was introduced to the Legislative Council that would create a “Tobacco Free Generation.” You can read the draft text of the bill here>. The phrase tobacco free generation is used widely and it often has different meanings. Some use it to describe a
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
MPs have voted in favour of introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes in the UK. It means from 2016 every packet will look the same except for the make and brand name, with graphic photos accompanying health warnings if the House of Lords also approves the move. The Irish Republic passed
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
The absence of smoking on commercial airliners is something we all now take for granted. But it wasn’t always that way. The ban on smoking was the culmination of years of effort by many individuals and public health organizations fighting an industry that had held sway in the US Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — Never underestimate the staying power of big tobacco. In 2006, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the nation’s largest cigarette makers to publicly admit that they had lied for decades about the dangers of smoking. The basis for the punishment: Testimony from 162 witnesses, a nine-month bench
Annually, the tobacco industry contributes over $1.6 million to federal candidates and spends approximately $16.6 million lobbying Congress. This money buys the tobacco industry access to government officials and influence over laws. This is a serious problem because there is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests
U.S. will comply with WTO decision by moving to ban menthol additives GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 24 July – Yesterday the U.S. laid out its plan to come into compliance with a WTO dispute settlement panel finding that the U.S. ban on clove cigarettes violated the trading rights of Indonesia. The
TOBACCO INDUSTRY RELENTLESSLY UNDERMINING ADVERTISING BANS WASHINGTON, DC. 30 May – The days of actors dressing up as doctors to promote cigarette brands may be long over, but if you think tobacco advertising has been effectively banned, think again. Slick ads in magazines, in stores and on the Internet still
This is just one of many key statements made at last week’s conference on “Governance of Tobacco in the 21st Century” held at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies. To see some of the powerful messages and learn more about the outcomes from this years conference please click on image
