Leslie Rae-Ferat and Jason Chapman On November 1, 2022 the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) officially rebranded as the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC). The Framework Convention Alliance was originally created in 1999 and was later more formally established in 2003. Today, the Alliance is the only global network dedicated solely to implementing the World […]
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Global Plastics Treaty must align with Global Tobacco Control Treaty
Debby Sy and Laurent Huber In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) mandated the negotiations of a global plastics treaty which is expected to include Single Use Plastics (SUPs), under which cigarette butts have been categorized. The UNEA Resolution encourages broad multi-stakeholder involvement including the private sector. There is no indication that the […]
Japan Tobacco International sponsored event cancelled at Scottish Nationalist Party conference but Coca Cola obesity event goes ahead
Sheila Duffy The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) is a political party which was just one seat short of a majority in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. The SNP currently runs the administration of the Scottish Government in a cooperation agreement with the Scottish Green Party. ASH Scotland became aware of a proposed fringe event organised […]
Tobacco Control stalwart Margaretha Haglund has died
Margaretha Haglund, Maggan (1948–2022) The International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) announced on Wednesday 7th September that life-long tobacco control advocate Margaretha Haglund, or Maggan, as she was known, passed away on Saturday, 3 September. Maggan was a long-term pioneer in tobacco control, working in the field for nearly 50 years […]
129 organizations send letter to Spanish President denouncing Spain’s intention to become a “tobacco dealer state” along French Border
Laurent Huber, Raquel Fernández Megina, Esteve Fernández, Cristina Martinez Martinez In June 2022, the Spanish Ministry of Finance announced that 203 new tobacco retail licenses were to be added to the 13,000 already operating in Spain. Of these new tobacconists, 30 will be concentrated along the French-Spanish border, dramatically increasing the concentration along the French border, […]
R J Reynolds allegedly attempts to pay Pastor to speak out against U.S. menthol ban
An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) has revealed that Detroit Pastor Rev. Horace Sheffield, a prominent Black civil rights activist, was offered as much as $250,000 to speak out against the proposed federal menthol ban in the United States (U.S.). Back in May 2022, Rev. Sheffield had written an editorial in support […]
Interference by Big Tobacco in South Asia warrants a closer look
Aishwarya Ashok, Upendra Bhojani, Shivam Kapoor and Pranay Lal South Asia experiences unprecedented levels of tobacco industry interference and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the sheer vulnerability of the region. When Bangladesh was on the brink of a nationwide lockdown, two Transnational Tobacco Companies (TTCs) lobbied the government to continue cigarette production claiming them to be […]
Canada publishes proposed regulations to require a health warning directly on every cigarette
Rob Cunningham On 10 June 2022, Canada announced proposed regulations for its third round of picture warnings, together with a requirement for a health warning to appear on every cigarette, a world first. The draft regulations are subject to a 75-day consultation period, ending 25 August 2022. Final regulations are expected to be adopted in […]
Bangladesh: Bidi Industry Forces Workers to Demand Tax Reduction
ABM Zubair In Bangladesh, the bidi industry has been capitalising on the financial vulnerabilities of its workers to shield itself against any taxation or tobacco control measures. The Bidi industry has been criticized for abusing human rights by offering extremely low wages, the average in Bangladesh being US$ 0.77-1.57 per day according to a 2019 […]
The Tobacco Enforcement Reporting Movement (TERM): An Early Warning System to Track Digital Tobacco Marketing
Nandita Murukutla, Sharan Kuganesan, Namrata Kumar, Vaishakhi Mallik, and Rebecca Perl At the World Health Organization’s 150th Executive Board meeting, in January 2022, the Director-General remarked that 60 countries are on track to reduce tobacco use as per agreed targets. While this is undoubtedly good news, significant challenges persist advancing tobacco control measures among the […]