Tag: Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Changes Name

Photo: Dzmitry
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has relaunched as Global Action to End Smoking (GAES).
The charitable organization says its rebrand reflects a new approach to achieving its mission to end the smoking epidemic. While GAES’ grantmaking will continue to focus on advancing health and science research for robust smoking cessation and reduced-risk solutions, it will also disseminate research findings and information to support people who smoke through its new cessation education program.
Additionally, GEAS’ agricultural transformation Initiative will continue to assist smallholder farmers in moving away from dependence on tobacco growing to achieving more healthful and sustainable livelihoods in Malawi. (Also see Tobacco Reporter‘s special report on diversification in Malawi.)
Through September 2023, the organization received charitable gifts from PMI Global Services while operating as an entirely independent entity. In October 2023, the organization ended its funding agreement with PMI. GAES has since adopted a formal policy that it will not seek or accept funding from any industry that manufactures tobacco products or non-medicinal nicotine products.
In one of its first initiatives under its new name, GEAS announced that it will fund research by the Urban Institute to study tobacco-use disorder and nicotine dependence among low-income individuals in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
“We’re thrilled to work with the experts at the Urban Institute, who will carry out the important work of quantifying the magnitude of the problem of the smoking epidemic among low-income individuals in the U.S.,” said GAES President Cliff Douglas in a statement. “Understanding the barriers to cessation is the first step to overcoming them. This work reflects our commitment to end the smoking epidemic worldwide by helping us better understand how best to empower those at the greatest risk of suffering illness and premature death from smoking.”
May 13, 2024
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Severs Nicotine Ties

Credit: Akeeris
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which was originally funded by Philip Morris International (PMI), announced that it would no longer accept any monetary support from the nicotine industry to gain the trust of tobacco control groups.
PMI had pledged to give tens of millions of dollars each year to keep the foundation afloat between 2022 and 2029. In September, they provided a final grant of $122.5 million, equivalent to around three and a half years of their original commitment.
The foundation will now rebrand and find new funders from outside of the industry, Cliff Douglas said in an interview with Reuters.
Douglas, a long-time tobacco control advocate who joined the foundation in October, said he wants to see it re-established as a credible actor in ending smoking.
“Any skepticism around our independence can be laid to rest,” he said.
Douglas pointed to several tobacco control advocates who have sounded positive about the foundation’s new direction. However, other groups remained skeptical about whether it can reset its image.
November 27, 2023
Clifford Douglas to lead Smoke-Free Foundation

Photo: FSFW
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has named Clifford E. Douglas as president and CEO. Douglas most recently served as director of the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network and as adjunct professor in the department of health management and policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Prior to that he was the American Cancer Society vice president for tobacco control. Early in his career Douglas worked to eliminate smoking on airline flights and was an attorney and advisor in landmark lawsuits against tobacco manufacturers.
Douglas has also managed a $6 million campaign to eliminate smoking on college campuses, and worked to help Americans understand the relationship between smoking and Covid-19. Douglas has served as the assistant director of the Coalition on Smoking and Health; he was also the associate director of the American Lung Association national public affairs office and has been the tobacco control advisor to the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health and the U.S. Surgeon General.
“For decades Cliff Douglas has been a strong and influential voice in the work to eliminate smoking in America and globally,” said Pam Parizek, chair of the Foundation board of directors, in a statement. “He understands both the science and societal elements of tobacco issues. His credentials are exceptional, and we are pleased he will lead our foundation effort to fund meaningful research and engage in evidence-based education efforts that help those at greatest risk stop smoking.”
The Foundation is a nonprofit, independent grantmaking organization, dedicated to ending the illness and death caused by smoking.
Douglas believes the Foundation is uniquely positioned to reduce smoking globally, “Our mission is to help end smoking in this generation,” he said. “I have committed myself to this mission for 35 years and look forward to leading this organization in innovative and impactful efforts to accelerate reductions in smoking prevalence and improve public understanding regarding the nature and health impact of nicotine, and as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has highlighted, the continuum of risk among different tobacco and nicotine products. We will continue to be a strong and independent voice in helping people around the world find healthier lifestyles.”
“Our mission is to help end smoking in this generation. I have committed myself to this mission for 35 years and look forward to leading this organization in innovative and impactful efforts to accelerate reductions in smoking prevalence.
Clifford Douglas, CEO, FSFW
“The Foundation is about to enter a new era under the leadership of Cliff Douglas,” said Parizek. “We certainly are appreciative of those who have previously supported our work, and going forward the Foundation remains fully committed to our smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction efforts around the world.”
Philip Morris International recently made a final grant to the Foundation and the pledge agreement between Philip Morris and the Foundation has been concluded. “Moving forward the Foundation will seek to collaborate with associations and institutions to accelerate our investments in life saving research projects based on the most up to date science,” said Parizek.
October 13, 2023
Call for Proposals to Improve Doctors’ Understanding of THR

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) has issued a call for proposals to further analyze the findings of its Sermo survey on doctors and propose programs that would help improve doctors’ fluency about smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction (THR), according to a press release.
The FSFW funded research carried out in 2022 by Sermo, an independent platform and leader in actionable healthcare professional insights that surveyed more than 15,000 doctors online in 11 countries, including China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. A significant majority of the surveyed doctors mistakenly attributed the negative health effects of smoking to nicotine.
An average of 87 percent of doctors agreed, at least moderately, that helping patients quit smoking is a priority; however, 74 percent mistakenly believe nicotine causes a range of illnesses, including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The misperception about nicotine could account for an average of 55 percent of the doctors recommending over-the-counter nicotine-replacement therapies to help patients reduce or quit smoking.
“It is imperative that doctors get the proper training to learn the facts about nicotine and tobacco harm reduction options that can help their smoking patients quit,” said Muhammad Ahmed, director of health and science research at the FSFW. “With more than 7 million smokers dying annually from smoking-related diseases worldwide, many lives can be saved if doctors become more knowledgeable about the cessation tools available.”
“Patients look to doctors for trusted health advice,” said Jed Rose, president and CEO of Rose Research Center and co-inventor of the nicotine patch. “Therefore, it is vital that doctors provide accurate, current advice to smokers about the health risks of smoking cigarettes compared to using products that deliver nicotine without combustion.”
The survey on doctors showed that 74 percent of doctors on average at least moderately agree that nicotine causes lung, bladder and head/neck/gastric cancer; in the United States, this figure is 70 percent; in Germany, this figure is 78 percent; in China, this figure is 86 percent; in Japan, this figure is 85 percent; 78 percent of doctors on average at least moderately agree that atherosclerosis is caused by nicotine; and 76 percent of doctors on average at least moderately agree that COPD is caused by nicotine.
On average, 81 percent of the physicians surveyed are at least moderately interested in training focused on smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction.
The survey also found that while doctors’ conversations with patients who smoke focus on the health benefits of cutting down or quitting (73 percent on average globally) and the health risks of continuing (73 percent on average globally), a comparatively small number of physicians—just over half (56 percent on average globally) on average—recommend cutting down on the amount of smokable tobacco products, and less than half of doctors (48 percent on average globally) help patients develop a plan to quit.
Researchers interested in submitting a proposal to further analyze these findings should contact support@smokefreeworld.org.
July 20, 2023
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Changes Leadership

From left to right, Derek Yach, David Janazzo and Heidi Goldstain
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World today announced that Derek Yach will no longer serve as president and board director. Heidi Goldstein, general counsel, and David Janazzo, chief financial officer and executive vice president of operations and finance, will serve as interim co-presidents, effective immediately, while the board conducts a search for a new president to lead the foundation and its vital mission forward.
“After careful consideration, the board has determined that now is the right time for a new leader to guide the essential efforts of the Foundation, its team and its work with partners around the world,” said Pamela Parizek, chair of the Foundation’s board of directors, in a statement. “As we continue to take urgent action to accelerate progress toward ending smoking in this generation, we look forward to this opportunity to take the Foundation to the next level of achievement.
“The Foundation remains squarely focused on its mission to improve global health by reducing death and disease caused by smoking, and Heidi and David, together with the rest of our talented team, will continue advancing our global research grantmaking, range of innovative programs and powerful public health collaborations without interruption.”
Parizek continued, “On behalf of the board, I want to thank Derek for helping to establish and build the Foundation. We deeply appreciate the contributions he has made to this team’s work and to communities around the world through decades of ground-breaking efforts in tobacco control and public health. We wish him all the best.”
“The Foundation’s ongoing work to end the world’s largest single preventable cause of death could not be more needed today,” said Yach. “I leave the Foundation with deep satisfaction that we now have an emerging cadre of hundreds of researchers, advocates and industry scientists dedicating themselves to this goal. My future efforts aim to complement them.”
October 25, 2021
Smoke-Free World Foundation Urges Smokers to Quit/Switch
Photo: auremar
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31, The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) is urging smokers to quit or switch to harm-reduction production
The fact that more than 1 billion people still smoke and 8 million annual deaths are attributed to tobacco use proves that health policies and actions have been inadequate, according to the FSFW.
“The challenges that smokers face when trying to quit have been largely ignored,” the foundation wrote in a press note. “The calls by the World Health Organization (WHO) for smokers to quit using fairly ineffective interventions suggest we need new approaches. Technology innovation, in the form of harm reduction, offers a new way forward for smokers that complements classic cessation efforts.”
“Since my involvement in the first WNTD in 1988, we have focused narrowly on cessation often without engaging smokers in developing ways they feel work best. Too many efforts have failed because they have not addressed the fact that while many smokers want to quit, they are not being presented with options that appeal to them,” said Derek Yach, President of FSFW.
“There is growing evidence that a range of harm-reduction products, including e-cigarettes (vapes), snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, can help smokers quit or at least substantially reduce their harmful exposure to combustible cigarettes. The WHO, supported by heavily funded Bloomberg Philanthropies grantees, continues to blindly ignore scientific evidence, vilifying these products instead of promoting their use to save lives.”
The FSFW cites a study published this week in The Lancet, in which the authors say the current level of tobacco control policy implementation is insufficient in many countries around the world and that evidence-based policies are needed to reduce smoking. According to the foundation, the study ignores the role for tobacco harm-reduction (THR) products as part of tobacco control policy.
“This study was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which does not support the use of THR products as cessation aides,” said Yach. “This is likely one reason why they were not included in the report. Denying the value and benefits of THR products is irresponsible and blatantly discounts the research showing they can help smokers quit.”

There is growing evidence that a range of harm-reduction products, including e-cigarettes (vapes), snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, can help smokers quit or at least substantially reduce their harmful exposure to combustible cigarettes.
Derek Yach, president, FSFW
By contrast, The U.K. Royal College of Physicians (RCP) believes THR products should play a prominent role in tobacco control. In a recently released report, “Smoking and health 2021: A coming age for tobacco control?” the RCP estimates that if the harm-reduction policies it advocated for in 1962 were adopted, smoking would have ended in the United Kingdom by now. The new report calls for doctors to play a more active role in helping their patients who smoke. “We argue that responsibility for treating smokers lies with the clinician who sees them, and that our NHS [the U.K. National Health Service] should be delivering default, opt-out, systematic interventions for all smokers at the point of service contact,” the report’s authors write. The RCP also recommends that the U.K. government invest in media campaigns to urge smokers to switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes, which are less harmful. Governments and doctors worldwide should heed their advice.
A new report by BOTEC Analysis, a public policy research and consulting firm, finds that the availability of regulated alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), combined with traditional tobacco control efforts such as tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and cessation services, have helped to lower smoking rates in several countries. Titled, “Investigating the drivers of smoking cessation: A role of alternative nicotine delivery systems?” the report examines the policies in five countries that have long been considered international leaders in tobacco control: The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.
According to the FSFW, BOTEC’s key findings presented interesting results per country, including:
United Kingdom: A leader in tobacco control, the country has proactively helped smokers switch to e-cigarettes, which have been shown to be 95 percent safer. While the country has some of the highest tobacco prices in the world, the government has chosen not to tax e-cigarettes as tobacco products, making them less costly. Access to regulated e-cigarettes appears to also support smoking cessation services.
Canada: Following the introduction of e-cigarettes in 2018, there has been a significant decline in conventional tobacco sales. As stringent regulations and higher prices apply more to traditional cigarettes than e-cigarettes, smoking rates and tobacco purchases have collapsed, especially among young Canadians. Still, the country may be poised to reverse these successes with proposed regulations that would implement a new tax on e-cigarettes and cap the nicotine content of e-liquids.
Australia: The country succeeded in driving cessation with a combination of health warnings, tax increases, and effective publicity campaigns. The government has implemented de-facto bans on harm-reduction products, but many Australians continue to use smuggled and unregulated e-cigarettes, reporting a desire to quit or reduce smoking as a primary motivation.
South Korea: The country has more than 250 public health centers that provide comprehensive clinical services, including counseling, prescription medication, nicotine replacement therapy, and text/email follow-ups. Over six months, more than 800,000 adult male smokers used these clinics with an estimated 46.8 percent quit rate. Despite the South Korean government’s disapproving stance toward ANDS, both e-cigarettes and HTPs appear to be aiding cessation.
Japan: Although Japan has imposed an excise tax on cigarettes and banned e-cigarettes containing nicotine, HTPs are widely available and increasingly popular. Moreover, the uptake of HTPs appears to be causally associated with a reduction in demand for combustible cigarettes. However, a lack of regulatory distinction between HTPs and combustible cigarettes appears to limit the numbers of smokers who shift to exclusive HTP use, so their effect on cessation may be muted, thus reducing HTP’s potential to aid smoking cessation.
BOTEC Analysis is one of several Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Foundation grantees who are spearheading research to uncover new solutions to combat this global health epidemic. The FSFW collaborates with other nonprofit, advocacy, and government organizations to advance smoking cessation and harm-reduction science. The FSFW also supports the development of alternative products and methods that may reduce a smoker’s health risks and help them to stop smoking entirely.
“In light of the billion smokers that remain, one may assume that the world has made little progress since the first WNTD three decades ago,” the FSFW concluded in its press note. “Yet, from a scientific and technological perspective, we have seen profound change. As a result of transformational research and development, we now have harm-reduction products that could end death and disease from tobacco. Still, innovation translates into saved lives only when smokers have access to the full range of cessation and harm-reduction options. Thus, in the same way that the Foundation calls on smokers to quit, it also calls on policymakers and physicians to embrace the tools that will help them do so.”
May 28, 2021