Blogs

Mervi Hara, Executive director & Tea Kalska, Communication specialist, ASH Finland: Nicotine gate: How flavour choices sparked a political scandal

In October 2024, Finland’s parliament approved an amendment to the Tobacco Act regarding nicotine pouches. However, massive media coverage erupted over the government’s selection of pouch flavours, resulting in the law being halted before it could be finalized. The government now plans to submit a revised bill as soon as possible. In this article, Mervi Hara and Tea Kalska, ASH Finland, break down what happened. Article was published 20.11.2024.

Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Managing Attorney in ASH USA: Tobacco Industry Liability

The Finnish translation (6.5.2024): Tupakkateollisuuden vastuusta

Many of us know that the tobacco industry is morally and ethically wrong. But fewer people know that often the actions of the tobacco industry are also legally wrong. The tobacco treaty, the WHO FCTC, highlights the use of judicial systems as an important tool for tobacco control.

Rob Branston, Dr, Associate Professor in Business Economics, University of Bath:
Addressing industry profits as part of tobacco control (ext. link)

The Finnish translation (10.3.2021) Tupakkateollisuuden voittoihin puuttuminen osaksi tupakoinnin torjuntaa.

Given the harm caused by tobacco products, most countries apply excise taxes in order to increase their retail price and hence encourage existing users to quit and discourage others from starting. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests such taxes should be at least 75% of the retail price of tobacco, so you would be forgiven for thinking that left very little room for tobacco companies to earn that much profit. In actual fact, manufacturing tobacco products is inordinately profitable despite high taxes.

Nadja Frederiksen, the Project Manager at Nordic Welfare Centre:
Tobacco and nicotine-free Nordic countries?

The Finnish translation (15.8.2019) Tupakattomat ja nikotiinittomat Pohjoismaat?

Although the prevalence of smokers are overall declining in the Nordic countries, about 33500 people died of tobacco-related diseases in the Nordic countries in 2016, according to The Tobacco Atlas. There is therefore a great rationale in continuing the fight against tobacco smoking in the Nordic countries, to protect both current and future generations against tobacco.

Anca Toma Friedlaender, the Director of Smoke Free Partnership (SFP):
Europe needs a renewed commitment to eliminating tobacco

The Finnish translation (13.5.2020) Euroopan on sitouduttava vahvemmin tupakoinnin vähentämiseen

Europe has come a long way in fighting tobacco. There’s no doubt about that. The effects of policies adopted in the last 20 years or so are showing. Europeans are smoking less. Fewer kids are taking up smoking. But is all the work done that should be done? Is tobacco “solved”?