NGOs

Non-governmental Organisations involved in Tobacco Control

World

• WHO, World Health Organisation

Creator of the FCTC, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Is heavily supported by the pharmaceutical industry in the area of lifestyle diseases. Has been heavily criticized for its amount of spending on "1st World" concerns like promoting smoking bans while neglecting concerns of nations whose children are dying of dysentery, cholera, and malaria.

• Framework Convention Alliance

This alliance is made up of over 350 organizations from more than 100 countries working on the development, ratification and implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

• Global Smokefree Partnership

A multipartner initiative formed to promote effective smokefree air policies worldwide.

• Globalink

Globalink is a network of international tobacco control activists making use of the internet to communicate ideas and strategies against the use of tobacco. It is part of the Global Tobacco Control Movement strongly supported by the American Cancer Society and the UICC. Although Globalink does not declare their dependence upon pharmaceutical funding on their website, here's what we can read in bold on page 34 of the Strategy Planning for Tobacco Control Movement Building:

"Links to Drug Companies That Have Funded Tobacco Control Action GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmacia Corporation (now owned by Pfizer)"

Dr. Michael Siegel (an insider) exposed how the groupthink mentality runs rampant in the globalink network. Excerpts from his blogpost Globalink: A Forum for Global Groupthink in Tobacco Control:

It (Globalink) is a mechanism for preventing critical discussion of research, science, and policy issues in tobacco control. It serves to stifle thoughtful discussion of ideas, suppresses dissenting opinions, and plays out as a forum for malicious individual attacks against researchers, advocates, or citizens who dare to go against the mainstream opinions within the tobacco control movement.

Another former Globalink member – Dr. Kamal Chaouachi – had this to say:

I was banished (from Globalink) several times and eventually expelled once and for all. Over the years, I have also been amazed by the extent of endorsed intolerance. For instance, there have been, believe it or not, “debates” on whether it is ethical or not to give a last cigarette to a person confined to bed and doomed to death… Then, one discovers the pharmaceutical industry connections (Pfizer in particular) (WCTOH, 2009; Mesbah 2009) and how Globalink’s policy has been drawn with “a velvet glove” pulled on an iron fist named Simon Chapman, ex Editor in Chief of the world famous antismoking Tobacco Control Journal.

• World Lung Foundation

Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Lung Foundation offers funding and anti-tobacco advocacy techniques to low-and middle-income countries.

USA

• Americans For Nonsmokers' Rights

Berkeley, CA

• Action on Smoking and Health

Washington, DC

• American Legacy Foundation

Washington, DC

• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

Washington, DC

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Atlanta, GA

• GASP

With chapters across the USA

• Institute for Global Tobacco Control (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)

Baltimore, MD

On top of the above, the alphabet organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the American Lung and Heart Associations, the CDC and others lobby governments at all levels for higher tobacco taxes, and more stringent tobacco restrictions such as outdoor and home smoking bans. As well, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller parasitical groups in the USA promulgating anti-smoking messages and smoker intolerance.

Following are just some of them:

   Alabama Tobacco Prevention and Control Division
   Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
   Tobacco Free Arizona
   Arkansas Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
   Arkansas Stamp Out Smoking
   California Tobacco Control Program
   Colorado State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership
   Connecticut Department of Public Health
   Delaware Tobacco Prevention Program
   District of Columbia Tobacco Control Program
   Florida Bureau of Tobacco Prevention
   Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program
   Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
   Idaho Tobacco Prevention and Control Program / Project Filter
   Illinois Tobacco Free Communities
   Indiana Tobacco Prevention & Cessation
   Smoke Free Indy
   Iowa Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control
   Kansas Tobacco Use Prevention Program
   Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
   Louisiana Tobacco Control Program
   Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine
   Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund Program
   Maryland Center for Health Promotion, Education and Tobacco Use Prevention
   Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation & Prevention Program
   Make Smoking History (Massachusetts)
   Michigan Tobacco Program
   Minnesota Tobacco Prevention and Control
   Mississippi Office of Tobacco Control
   Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi
   Missouri Office of Tobacco Control
   Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program
   Tobacco Free Nebraska
   Nevada Tobacco Control Program
   New Hampshire Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
   New Jersey Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program
   New Mexico Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program
   New York State Department of Health
   North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch
   North Dakota Tobacco Control and Prevention Program
   Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program
   Oklahoma Tobacco Use Prevention Service
   Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
   Pennsylvania Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control
   Puerto Rico Tobacco Prevention and Control
   Rhode Island Tobacco Control Program
   South Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control
   South Dakota Tobacco Control
   Tennessee Tobacco Control
   Texas Tobacco Prevention and Control
   Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
   Vermont Tobacco Control Program
   Virginia Tobacco Use Control Project
   Washington Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
   West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention
   Wisconsin Tobacco Control Program
   Wyoming Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention
   Wyoming Through with Chew

Canada

• Physicians For A Smoke-Free Canada

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Non-Smokers' Rights Association and its charitable arm Smoking and Health Action Foundation

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Ontario Tobacco Research Unit

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

There are many other smaller parasitical groups that make a living from anti-tobacco and the citizens' taxes and/or pharmaceutical industry donations and on top of these groups that are directly working for the anti-tobacco industry, many others consistently and continuously lobby government (federal and provincial) to implement ever increasing anti-tobacco policies and of course to sustain or increase the funding towards anti-tobacco.

• The following list of non-profits lobbying against tobacco comes from the federal lobbyist registry:

As of June 2012:

1. The Canadian Cancer Society is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control implementation, including protocols and guidelines.
   2. Health Canada's Tobacco Control Program, as it relates to funding and implementation.
   3. Income Tax Act, as it relates to the taxation of tobacco companies.
   4. Non-Smokers' Health Act, as it relates to implementation and enforcement.
   5. Tobacco Act and its regulations, including regarding packaging/labelling and ingredients.
2. The Canadian Dental Association is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAMS: strengthening Canada's tobacco control strategy.
   2. Monitor Health Promotion Funding for Canadian Tobacco Cessation Programs.
3. The Canadian Medical Association is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAMS: increased restriction on the sale and advertising of tobacco products in Canada.
4. The Canadian Lung Association is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. Amendments to the Tobacco Act with respect to increasing tobacco taxation and penalties for contraband cigarettes.
   2. Bill C-32, an Act to Amend the Tobacco Act, pertaining to cigarillos (mini cigars), blunts and papers, as well as marketing to young people and Canadians.
   3. Smoking cessation support with respect to ensuring funding for programs to reduce smoking rates in First Nations communities.
   4. The Federal Tobacco Control Strategy in respect of renewing the strategy after 2012.
5. The Canadian Pharmacists Association is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. Health Canada Smoking Cessation Tobacco Control Program with respect to policy implications for the practice of pharmacy.
   2. Health Canada Smoking Cessation Tobacco Control Program. Seeking assistance to develop and disseminate training materials and courses to provide pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to help patients stop smoking.
6. The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. CPHA informs Government of Canada about new CPHA position statements on Tobacco Use in Canada and a Public Health Approach to Alcohol Policy in Canada.
7. The Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. Seeking information on the status of the renewed funding (sic) of the federal tobacco control strategy.
8. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is presently lobbying the federal government for the following:
   1. Implementation of regulations and programs to: Eliminate tobacco marketing, Require plain packaging on tobacco products; reduce tobacco contraband, and renew tobacco package health warnings.

Europe

• Smokefree Partnership Europe

Sponsored by the Tobacco Control industry to lobby for smokefree policies in the European Parliament.

SFP received direct contributions from Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the European Heart Network (EHN), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the Institut National du Cancer (INCa).

In 2009, the SFP managed the funds from the Tobacco Free Europe Campaign and received €5,000 from ECL, €5,000 from EHN, €1,000 from ENSP, and €1,000 from ERS. Three unrestricted educational grants were also received (€30,000 from Novartis, €30,000 from Pfizer and €5,000 from Johnson and Johnson) to finance the activities linked to the Tobacco Free Europe Campaign. The Campaign and the funds will continue to be used in 2010.

The Smokefree Partnership sabotaged a TICAP conference which was planned in the European Parliament with false claims that the conference was a tobacco industry meeting. The claims were deliberately made at a stage when it was expected that the scheduled meeting would neither have time to properly contest and defend against the claims nor be able to come up with an alternate venue. The sabotage was rendered ineffective as UKIP donated conference facilities at the last moment and the conference was renamed the "Thinking Is Forbidden" conference to memorialize the attempt to silence Free Choice advocates.

• European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)

A European Platform bringing together public health organisations representing health professionals, patients groups, health promotion and disease specific NGOs, academic groupings and other health associations.

EPHA is funded through membership fees, grants, projects and an operating grant under the European Commission’s Public Health Programme.

Operating income in 2011: €1,060,645. Main income from the EU's Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (€549.364).

UK

• ASH, Action on Smoking and Health

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• ASH Scotland

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• ASH Wales

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Fresh (Smokefree North East)

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• No Smoking Day

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Plain Packs Protect

NGO specifically set up with government funds to lobby government for plain packaging of tobacco.

• Smokefree Lincs Alliance

Local NGO mostly financed by state-funded organisations.

• Smokefree South West

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

• Tobacco Free Futures (Smokefree North West)

Government funded and government lobbying NGO.

France

• Alliance contre le tabac

• Comité national contre le tabagisme

• Droits des non fumeurs

Germany

• German Medical Action Group Smoking or Health

• Pro Rauchfrei

• Nichtraucherinitiative Deutschland e.V.

This organisation focuses on the "protection of non-smokers at work and at home" and even offers a 48-page long "guide for non-smoker protection from smoking neighbours" Leitfaden zum Nichtraucherschutz bei rauchenden Nachbarn.

Spain

• Asociacion Valenciana Para la Prevencion, Control, y Tratamiento de tabaquismo

Greece

• Nosmoke

Government and corporate funded (including Pfizer). Member of ENSP.

Netherlands

• STIVORO

Funded by KWF (Cancer Society), Astmafonds (Asthma Fund) and Hartstichting (Heart Foundation)

• CAN, Clean Air Now

Project funding by KWF (Cancer Society), Astmafonds (Asthma Fund) and Hartstichting (Heart Foundation)

Belgium

• Vlaamse Liga tegen Kanker

Government and public funding

Denmark

• Danish Cancer Society

Tax exempted NGO. Financed by the government and the pharmaceutical industry. Also other private funding.

The organisation claims that living next door to a smoker raises the risk of cancer, and that 20 minutes of passive smoking raises the risk of having a heart attack.

Australia

• Action on Smoking and Health

New Zealand

• Action on Smoking and Health

Middle East

Lebanon

• Tobacco Free Initiative – Lebanon

Far East

Indonesia

• Indonesian Smoking Control Foundation

Taiwan

• John Tung Foundation (JTF)
• Taiwan International Medical Alliance (TIMA)
• Taiwan Medical Alliance for the Control of Tobacco(TMACT)

Thailand

• ASH Thailand

Government, WHO, AusAid and corporate funded.

Japan

• Japanese Society for Tobacco Control
• Japan Association Against Tobacco