New Report Released from
ASH, Unfairtobacco to Highlight the Rights Being Violated and
How to Act in honor of World No Tobacco Day 2024
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 21, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and their
partners at Unfairtobacco released a joint report in advance
of World No Tobacco Day on May
31st. The report, Protecting Children
from the Tobacco Industry, highlights the myriad ways the
tobacco industry harms children around the world and how advocates
can use global human rights standards and tools to protect children
from the tobacco industry.
Read the Report: Protecting Children from the Tobacco
Industry
"Our children deserve to grow up in a world free from the
damage, disease, and death caused by the tobacco industry," said
Laurent Huber, Executive Director of
Action on Smoking and Health. "Every day, tobacco
companies are violating children's right to health, right to a
healthy environment, and right to be free from racial
discrimination. Governments have a duty to protect those basic
human rights, and we will stand together with our partners to
ensure all children's rights are upheld."
Approximately 6.6% of youth in California use tobacco products; this report
illustrates ways to utilize international mechanisms to protect
youth in California and around the
world. The tobacco industry sees children as "replacement smokers"
and therefore intentionally targets children with advertising,
flavored tobacco products, and sponsorship of events. The tobacco
industry also contributes to several other issues that have a
negative impact on the physical and mental health of children,
including child labor, secondhand smoke, and the environment.
There are human rights mechanisms and arguments that can help
protect children and youth from the tobacco industry, including the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. At even the local level,
human rights language can be incorporated into tobacco control
advocacy; protecting the right to health of children is compelling
at every level of government.
"Human rights mechanisms are a tool to protect children from the
harms of the tobacco industry, including health and environmental
damages. Public health advocates can and should use these
mechanisms to fight for a healthier world for our children," said
Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Managing
Attorney, Action on Smoking and Health.
ASH and Unfairtobacco are hosting a webinar on
Thursday May 23rd at noon
to discuss how tobacco companies violate children's human rights
and what we can do to protect children's rights. Register for free
here>
ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
Founded in 1967, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is America's
oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to a world with ZERO
tobacco deaths. Because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable
death worldwide, ASH supports bold solutions proportionate to the
magnitude of the problem. ash.org
Media Contact:
Kelsey
Romeo-Stuppy
(202) 659 – 4310
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SOURCE Action on Smoking and Health