Priscilla Tiigah and Erika Dayle Siu The health and economic consequences of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are well documented. The question of how best to control and prevent NCDs is urgent in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), where the burden is disproportionately rising compared to high income countries. Tobacco, the only common risk factor for the four […]
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Spain: COVID-19 prompts smoking regulation in streets and terraces
Esteve Fernández, Cristina Martínez Spain has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. From the first diagnosed case on January 31 this year to August 13, there were 337,334 cases, 129,009 hospitalizations and 28,605 deaths. After a growing number of daily cases of coronavirus across the country in recent weeks, Spain is going to regulate […]
The urgent need for a human rights approach to improving smoking cessation treatment
Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy with Carolyn Dresler, Chris Bostic, Cheryl Healton, Laurent Huber, Harry Lando, and Martin Raw When thinking of human rights crises, people often think of violence – child soldiers, genital mutilation, concentration camps – rather than health epidemics. However, tobacco corporations are guilty of one of the greatest human rights abuses in history. Tobacco […]
Waterpipe tobacco waste as a source of toxic contaminants in the environment
Sina Dobaradaran, Thomas E. Novotny and Hossein Arfaeinia Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS), commonly known as narghile, shisha, and hookah, is increasing worldwide, and with it, evidence of adverse health risks. WTS has been historically prevalent among youth and adults in Eastern Mediterranean countries, and it is increasingly popular in Eastern Europe and Western countries. Results […]
Tobacco industry lobbies Bangladesh Government Agency to champion its business during COVID-19 pandemic
ABM Zubair Bangladesh has seen an unprecedented level of tobacco industry interference during the COVID-19 crisis. The tobacco industry in Bangladesh, dominated by two transnational tobacco companies, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), has exploited the ongoing pandemic to protect its cigarette business. While publicly building their image by making donations […]
US Food and Drug Administration Sued Over Inaction on Menthol Cigarettes
Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is being sued over their inaction on menthol cigarettes. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and our colleagues at The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) are calling on the court to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fulfill their mandate and stop […]
India’s regulatory struggle to rein in smokeless tobacco use: is Covid-19 a game changer?
Deepak Mishra, Riddhi D’souza, Adhip Amin, Pranay Lal and Dr. Kaushal Kishore India has introduced laws for some of the most stringent physical distancing measures in the world. In addition to these measures, which started on 25 March 2020, there have been a range of restrictions introduced to contain the potential for smokeless tobacco use […]
Tribute to Anne Charlton: “A cure for crying”
Judith Mackay Dr Anne Charlton was Professor Emerita of Cancer Health Education at the University of Manchester in England. In April this year she became one of the thousands of coronavirus victims in the UK. At the venerable age of 84 years, she died from contracting the virus in hospital while undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Many heart-warming […]
China’s e-cigarette manufacturers facing uncertain future
Ross MacKenzie, Jennifer Fang and Julia Smith China’s electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) industry accounts for close to 90% of global production. Based in Shenzhen in Guangdong province, an estimated 3,900 manufacturers employed some 2 million people in 2018 and reported sales of 33.7bn yuan (US$ 4.8bn) and exports worth 28.7bn yuan (US$ 4bn). Figures for […]
Tobacco Control and Human Rights Before, During, and After COVID-19
Neil Sircar and Stella Aguinaga Bialous The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant disruption and trauma, and with it a rise in threats to human rights. UN Secretary-General Guterres remarked on April 23rd, 2020 that the pandemic was “fast becoming a human rights crisis” as nations grapple with detecting, preventing, and responding to overlapping […]