Blog

Success: CEDAW Calls to Protect Women’s Rights by Strengthening Tobacco Policies

Recently, momentum has been growing around the human rights field understanding the extreme harm caused by tobacco companies. This is made particularly evident by an important win in a technical policy paper – a win that is directly related to advocacy efforts from ASH and our partners in the tobacco control community. Human rights principles...

PHILLIPINES: Group files complaint vs tobacco firm for Steve Aoki concert sponsorship

Public health groups on Tuesday filed a complaint against Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) over its sponsorship of a Steve Aoki concert. The complaint was lodged at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products (OSMV) as it cites possible violations of...

USA: Supreme Court sides with the FDA in its dispute over sweet-flavored vaping products

BY: WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for the Food and Drug Administration in its crackdown on sweet-flavored vaping products following a surge in teen electronic cigarette use. But the justices’ unanimous decision throwing out a federal appeals court ruling is not the final word in the case, and the FDA could change its approach now that President Donald Trump has...

USA: FDA tobacco official is removed from post in latest blow to health agency’s leadership

BY: MATTHEW PERRONE WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration’s chief tobacco regulator was removed from his post Tuesday, part of sweeping cuts to the federal health workforce that have cleared out many of the nation’s top experts overseeing food, drugs, vaccines and products containing nicotine. The agency’s tobacco director, Brian King, notified his staff in an email: “It...

NIGERIA: Increase Tobacco Control Fund for public health protection, NGOs urge FG

Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have called on the Federal Government to increase the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF) beyond the N13 million allocated to it in the national budget for 2025, in order to protect public health. The Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) and the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation...

Tobacco-Free Farms Initiative in Kenya and Zambia

In March 2025, WHO and its partners held a virtual stakeholder consultation to review progress and share strategies for the Tobacco-Free Farms Initiative (TFF), implemented in Kenya and Zambia. This initiative aims to support smallholder farmers in transitioning from tobacco cultivation to sustainable alternative livelihoods that are healthier, more profitable, and environmentally friendly. Key achievements...

USA: Retailers will soon need a licence to sell cigarettes. But more is needed to control the illegal trade

Dubbed “the tobacco wars”, the illegal trade in untaxed tobacco products is reportedly booming in Australia. Some people see buying these cheap cigarettes as a way to save money. But as this week’s ABC Four Corners reported, it comes at great cost to the community, with fire-bombings, murder, serious crimes funded by illegal sales and a loss of crucial government funding for community...

SOUTH AFRICA: Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools

BY: Sam Filby, Richard van Zyl Smit It’s become common to see kids, some in their school uniforms, puffing on a vape. The World Health Organization points to the enticing flavours and targeted marketing to young people as the key reasons behind this trend. In the US, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school...

From Reports to Reality: Scrutinizing Tobacco Industry ESG Claims

This report published in 2025, was written by Dr. Sharon Nyatsanza and Ms. Lungile Mavundla, in collaboration with the South Africa Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Response (TIMR SA) and the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM). The report was funded by the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA). This document analyzes the...

Kenya: New paper on illicit cigarette trade in Ghana

BY: Tobacco Tactics Tobacco Control Research Group members contributed to a recent paper exploring the illicit trade of cigarettes in Ghana, published in Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. The study looks at the size, nature, and drivers of Ghana’s illicit cigarette market, as well as at the government’s response to the problem. It also captures stakeholder’s perceptions of tobacco industry...

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