Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the name of a number of autonomous
pressure group
Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...
s (
charities
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a cha ...
) in the
anglosphere
The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking world, English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in d ...
that seek to publicize the risks associated with
tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or simply released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed ...
and campaign for
greater restrictions on use and on
cigarette and tobacco sales.
ASH (United States)
In the
US, ASH was formed in 1967 by
John F. Banzhaf III, and a distinguished body of physicians, attorneys and other prominent citizens who saw the need for an organization to represent nonsmokers’ rights. Over the years, ASH has taken the lead on a variety of initiatives to counter the deaths and economic burden imposed by the
tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
.
ASH has a long history of advocacy, education and legal initiatives in the fight against tobacco. ASH has fought for health in courts, before legislative bodies and regulatory agencies, as well as international agencies such as the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
and the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
.
ASH's work and the work of its allies has spanned more than 40 years. Since the release of the original
Surgeon General Report on smoking in January 1964, the global initiative for the prevention of tobacco-related damages has made enormous progress—and ASH has played a major role in achieving this progress.
ASH's actions have led to significant progress, including:
* A
ban on cigarette commercials over the airwaves in 1971;
* A decision by Congress to ban
smoking on airline flights in 1990;
* The implementation of smoke-free legislation in a number of jurisdictions in the United States and other countries;
* A 2001 executive order by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
prohibiting the government from promoting the sale or export of tobacco products;
* Adoption and implementation of the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland on 21 May 2003. It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under ...
(FCTC), the first international treaty that deals exclusively with tobacco issues;
* Inclusion of a tobacco use reduction indicator and the WHO FCTC in the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
* A global discussion and advocacy resources to link tobacco control and human rights.
ASH (United Kingdom)
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, ASH is a
registered charity
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a ch ...
established in 1971, that aims to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. It works to raise awareness of the health risks of tobacco, and also campaigns for policy measures. It provides the secretariat of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group (APPG) is a grouping in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that is composed of members of parliament from all political parties, but have no official status within Parliament.
Description and functions
All-party ...
on smoking and health.
History
ASH was established in 1971 by the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
following the refusal of the
UK Government
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, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
to act on the college's demand for laws to reduce tobacco use. Former health minister,
John Dunwoody
John Elliot Orr Dunwoody CBE (3 June 1929 – 26 January 2006) was a British Labour politician.
Dunwoody was educated at St Paul's School, then trained as a doctor at King's College London, and Westminster Hospital Medical School. A surgeon, ...
, became its first director. Its present-day board of trustees reflects its continued support from the medical establishment as it is composed largely of doctors and scientists.
ASH was awarded a
WHO
Who or WHO may refer to:
* Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun
* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism
* World Health Organization
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...
World No Tobacco Day Award
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on 31 May. The yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is ...
in May 2011
and the 2012 Luther L Terry Award for "Outstanding Organization" by the
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
in December 2011.
Its current chief executive, appointed in 2003, is Deborah Arnott. She was appointed honorary associate professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Public Health University of Nottingham in 2011 and won the 2007 Alwyn Smith Prize awarded annually by the UK
Faculty of Public Health
The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is a public health association in the United Kingdom established as a registered charity. It is the standard setting body for public health specialists within the United Kingdom, setting standards for training ...
to the person judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to the health of the public.
Funding
ASH is a charity
describing itself as a "campaigning public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco".
Its funding for its core campaigning programme comes from the
British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom. It funds medical research related to heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and runs influencing work aimed at shaping public policy ...
(BHF) and
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
(CRUK). It has also received funding from the
Department of Health
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
under its Section 64 grant programme, which is earmarked for specific projects to further the department's public health objectives, and cannot be used to
lobby
Lobby may refer to:
* Lobby (room), an entranceway or foyer in a building
* Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians
:* Lobbying in the United States, specific to the United States
* Lobby (food), a thick stew ...
the government.
Campaigns
ASH uses funding from the BHF and CRUK to influence policy on a variety of issues including taxation and smuggling, health inequalities, harm reduction, and smoking and young people. It also works to raise awareness of the methods used by the tobacco industry to influence public health policies. ASH coordinates the Smokefree Action Coalition (SFAC), the umbrella group for organisations working to reduce the harm caused by tobacco, which was set up to campaign for comprehensive smoke-free legislation.
In February 2006, ASH won its campaign for legislation which created comprehensive
smoke-free indoor workplace regulation, introduced in England on 1 July 2007.
The smoke-free regulations included all pubs, bars and private members' clubs, as well as cafés, restaurants, and enclosed workplaces. A similar smoke-free law had already come into force in Scotland in March 2006,
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and Wales followed in April 2007. Campaigning after this point focussed on the need for a new government strategy on tobacco control.
In 2008, ten years after the publication of "Smoking Kills", a
white paper
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
on tobacco and the first comprehensive strategy to tackle the issue, ASH published "Beyond Smoking Kills" which provided a review of progress on the control of tobacco.
The report called for a number of measures including a
tobacco display ban,
prohibition of the sale of tobacco from vending machines and
standardised tobacco packaging.
The
Health Act 2009 provides for removal of
vending machines for tobacco products (implemented in October 2011) and for the prohibition of the display of tobacco products at the point of sale in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In March 2011, the Government committed to implement the point of sale legislation in England in large shops from April 2012 and in smaller shops from April 2015. It also committed to a public consultation on standardised packaging in early 2012. ASH, and the SFAC, actively campaigned for the introduction of standardised packaging, which was included in the
Children and Families Act 2014
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
and was passed into law in March 2015. The charity described it as the "most important public health reform of this Parliament."
In 2015, ASH published "Smoking Still Kills" which called for a new government tobacco control strategy, and made a number of recommendations including an annual levy on tobacco companies to fund measures to help smokers quit and prevent youth uptake.
At the launch of the report,
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health Jane Ellison
Jane Elizabeth Ellison (born 15 August 1964) is a British Conservative Party politician, who was first elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Battersea. On 7 May 2015, she was re-elected with an increased margin o ...
committed to a new tobacco control strategy.
Christopher Snowdon
Christopher John Snowdon is a British author and freelance journalist. He has written for ''Spiked'' magazine, ''The Daily Telegraph'' and ''The Spectator'' among other publications. He is particularly known as a vocal opponent of government i ...
, a research fellow at the
Institute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing pressure group and think tank registered as a UK charity Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to "further t ...
, which had received funding from tobacco firms, noted the influence of the charity saying that the "manifesto of this tiny pressure group is, in effect, the manifesto of whichever party is in power."
ASH is also a member of the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
's
Framework Convention Alliance The Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), also called the Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control, is a confederation of nearly 500 organizations from more than 100 countries which banded together to support the negotiation, ratification a ...
on
Tobacco Control
Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain/use ...
.
Membership
ASH covers the whole of the UK and encourages supporters to get involved in the organisation's work, or just lend financial support. ASH Northern Ireland, ASH Scotland and ASH Wales are separate organisations.
ASH Scotland
ASH Scotland is an independent Scottish charity which aims to take action to reduce the harm caused by tobacco. First founded under the auspices of the
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...
in 1973, ASH Scotland became a wholly separate charity in 1993. ASH Scotland was awarded a
WHO
Who or WHO may refer to:
* Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun
* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism
* World Health Organization
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...
World No Tobacco Day Award
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on 31 May. The yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is ...
in 2018.
The organisation seeks to improve health and quality of life by limiting the number of young people taking up smoking, reducing the number of adult smokers, protecting people from second-hand smoke and tackling the inequality resulting from tobacco use. This involves campaigning for change in the law, providing information to politicians, healthcare professionals and the public, and running programmes designed to help people be tobacco-free.
Following ASH Scotland campaigns, Scotland was the first part of the UK to introduce
smoke-free public places legislation and the first part of the UK (and the third country globally) to declare a tobacco-free date (2034) as part of the Scottish Government's tobacco control strategy 'Creating a tobacco-free generation'.
ASH Wales
ASH Wales is a smoking cessation and health charity that began in 1976 as an autonomous branch of ASH UK, and later gained independent charity status in 2007. Its aim is to reduce the prevalence of smoking across Wales by identifying and addressing influential factors, increasing public awareness, and improving the quality and reach of cessation services. ASH Wales engages in a variety of projects including campaigning for tobacco-control public-health policy, research, training, educational workshops, advocacy, and support.
Campaigns
From 2012 onward ASH Wales campaigned for all 22 local authorities in Wales to introduce smoke-free policies in their children's playgrounds. To date, 20 out of 22 local authorities have implemented voluntary bans in their local playgrounds, with another currently in the process of implementing a ban.
ASH Wales played an instrumental role in the Welsh Government's decision to enforce a ban on smoking in cars with children. Smoking in a private vehicle when someone under the age of 18 is present became illegal in England and Wales on 1 October 2015.
The Filter Project
The Filter is the youth project of ASH Wales which delivers quit smoking support and prevention for children and young people aged 11–25. The Filter provides workshops and quit smoking programmes delivered by smoking cessation advisors.
The Filter Project was launched in 2013 as a result of funding from the
Big Lottery Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...
. Since then The Filter has delivered its workshops and cessation support to more than 6,000 people across Wales. From 2015 The Filter became part of an Erasmus+ funded partnership bringing together organisations from five different EU countries with the aim of reducing tobacco consumption across all of the nations. This partnership will examine the potential of The Filter to work on a transnational basis.
Wales Tobacco or Health Network
The Wales Tobacco or Health Network (WTHN) is a professional network led by ASH Wales for individuals in Wales with an interest in tobacco and its impact on public health. It focuses on smoking and tobacco control but also on wider issues of health and well being such as the links between wealth and health inequality.
The network contains both individuals and organisations with members from many sectors, including academia, the tobacco control community, education, government, healthcare, local government, the media, the NHS, public health, and the private and voluntary sectors.
Wales Tobacco Control Alliance
The Wales Tobacco Control Alliance (WTCA) is a network managed by ASH Wales to enable all third sector and professional organisations involved with tackling tobacco in Wales to inform and influence policy development and implementation. The WTCA came together to campaign for a comprehensive Tobacco Control Strategy for Wales and now work to monitor this plan and reduce the harm caused by tobacco use more generally. Since 2008 over 30 organisations have joined the WTCA. This includes other charities like Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, along with professional bodies such as the Royal College of Physicians and the British Medical Association.
Following a campaign by the WTCA the Welsh Government published its Tobacco Control Action Plan in February 2012 which set out a comprehensive strategy containing ambitions to reduce adult smoking prevalence to 16% by 2020.
ASH (Australia)
ASH (Canada)
Founded in 1979, ASH is one of Canada's leading tobacco control organizations.
ASH Ireland
In 1992, ASH Ireland was established by the
Irish Heart Foundation
The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) is a charity founded in 1966 based in Dublin. It runs support groups for patients who have had heart problems or strokes and campaigns on public health issues which affect the risk of heart disease and stroke. In 1 ...
and the
Irish Cancer Society
The Irish Cancer Society (formerly known as the Conquer Cancer Campaign) is the national charity in the Republic of Ireland dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, and improving the lives of those who have cancer.
History Fo ...
.
ASH (New Zealand)
In
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, ASH was formed in 1983.
In 2011, the
New Zealand Government
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, image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg
, image_size=250px
, date_established =
, country = New Zealand
, leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
, appointed = Governor-General
, main_organ =
, ...
set a target of making NZ smokefree by 2025.
See also
*
Smoking in the United Kingdom
*
List of cigarette smoke carcinogens
Commercial tobacco smoke is a mixture of more than 5,000 chemicals. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following are known human carcinogens found in cigarette smoke:
See also
* Composition of electronic cigarett ...
*
Tobacco control
Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain/use ...
*
''Philip Morris v. Uruguay''
*
FOREST
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
, pro-smoking UK pressure group
References
External links
ASH United StatesASH New ZealandASH ScotlandASH United KingdomSmokefree Action Coalition
{{Authority control
Smoking in the United Kingdom
Smoking in the United States
Smoking in Canada
Smoking in Australia
Smoking in New Zealand
Tobacco control
Charities based in London
Charities based in Wales
Health campaigns
Public health organizations
Health charities in the United States
Health in Canada
Health charities in Canada
Health charities in Australia
Public health in the United Kingdom
Charities based in Scotland
Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C.