November 5, 2020 Authors: Adriana Blanco Marquizo devex In an ideal world — more mindful of the value of life than of profit — tobacco would never have been a legal product. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year; around 1.2 million of those deaths are nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke, many of them children. Today, […]
October 26, 2020 Authors: John P A Ioannidis and Prabhat JhaThe Lancet Tobacco use is the top modifiable global health problem, but the global tobacco market grows 3% annually. Most anti-tobacco measures to date target demand (eg, higher excise taxes). However, the endgame might require reducing supply. The main counterarguments are financial (eg, economic damage […]
November, 2020 Executive Summary Tobacco use carries risk of COVID-19 transmission and leads to worse health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 also endangers those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for which smoking is a major risk factor. Life-saving tobacco control measures that urge smokers to quit would not only address the tobacco epidemic, but also reduce […]
November 2020 Summary The tobacco industry must be held to account for health care costs, compensation to victims, corruption, illicit trade, environmental damage, food insecurity, child labor, and more. Under the global tobacco control treaty, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), governments are called on to adopt stronger tobacco control […]
Country Tobacco Entity/ Organization Seeking Tax Reprieve Amount/ Period Sought Government Agency Called on News Article Date Source Indonesia The Indonesian Cigarette Manufacturers Association (GAPPRI) “The GAPPRI Association hopes that in 2021 there will be no increase in excise rates, maintaining the number of industrial layers remaining at 10 layers and also maintaining the Retail […]
The tobacco industry must be held to account for health care costs, compensation to victims, corruption, illicit trade, environmental damage, food insecurity, human rights violations, and more. Frequently Asked Questions Summary The tobacco industry must be held to account for health care costs, compensation to victims, corruption, illicit trade, environmental damage, food insecurity, child labor, […]
Authors: Emil Filtenborg and Stefan Weichert Two tobacco titans have hit back at allegations they are using the COVID-19 health crisis to improve their public image and win access to politicians. Philip Morris International subsidiary, Papastratos, gave 50 respirators to Greek hospitals to help them cope during the pandemic. Read more: Euronews
A. Countering Tobacco in the News While TII intensifies during COVID-19, various organizations have pushed back with strong statements condemning the behavior of the tobacco industry and those furthering its interests; or calling for accelerated implementation of tobacco control measures during the pandemic and in the new normal. Organization/Person Article Title Relevant Statement […]
May 7, 2020 Are smokers and tobacco users at higher risk of COVID-19 infection? Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth. Smokers may also […]
The virus that causes COVID-19 attacks the respiratory system, and it is well settled that smoking makes one more susceptible to respiratory infections. Transmission of the virus could also happen through hand-to-mouth action of smoking, vaping or waterpipe smoking, and potentially, through exhaled air. Hence, to prevent COVID-19 infection; smoking, vaping, and waterpipe smoking have […]