Global Tobacco Control
The Issue in Brief
Tobacco use is arguably one of the greatest public health threats facing the world today. If left unchecked, it will kill 1 billion people this century. The majority of these deaths will occur in developing countries targeted by the tobacco industry after stronger tobacco control laws and higher taxes reduced demand in developed markets.
The O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law is a leader in the effort to reduce global tobacco use. Our work is comprised of three main strategies. First, the O’Neill Institute is researching the use of litigation as an approach for reducing tobacco use. In countries that have ratified key U.N. human rights treaties, the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or have otherwise adopted a positive right to health, litigation is an important tool in forcing industry to comply with domestic and international law as well as encouraging governments to adopt stronger tobacco control laws. Second, in partnership with domestic and international organizations, the O’Neill Institute is drafting shadow reports to accompany States’ Periodic Reports to U.N. human rights monitoring bodies to emphasize the close relationship between strong tobacco control laws and the protection of civil, political, social and economic rights. Third, the O’Neill Institute works with advocates in low-and middle-income countries to target rights-based and constitutional arguments to their specific cultural, economic, and political environments.
The O’Neill Institute has received support for this project from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
Selected Project Highlights
November 2011: CESCR’s Concluding Observations to Argentina’s Periodic Report Note Recommendations Presented by the O’Neill Institute and Partners.
July 2011: Judgment from the Peruvian Constitutional Tribunal Upholding Constitutionality of Reformed Smoke Free Law Highlighting Recommendations from the O'Neill Institute Amicus Brief. Judgment (Spanish) » Judgment (English) » O'Neill Institute Press Release »
July 2010: O’Neill Institute reports in New York City on Argentina’s periodic report to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee): “Challenges in the Prevention and Reduction of Women’s Tobacco Use in Argentina.”
October 2009: O’Neill Institute presents on (i) human rights and tobacco control: an overview on shadow reporting strategies, and (ii) litigation strategies on tobacco control (plenary session), at the 2nd Latin American Conference on Tobacco Control in Mexico City.
July 2009: O’Neill Institute observes evidentiary hearing held to consider evidence that Mexico’s national tobacco control law inadequately protects Mexican citizens’ constitutional right to health and violates obligations imposed by virtue of its accession to the FCTC.
June 2009: O’Neill Institute presents overview on human-rights based litigation strategies for tobacco control to regional meeting of Latin American tobacco control attorneys in Santiago, Chile.
March 2009: O’Neill Institute law fellows meet with the Chair of India’s National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights to explore possibilities to reduce child participation in tobacco manufacturing.
Selected Project Resources
O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. 2012. Tobacco Industry Strategy in Latin American Courts: A Litigation Guide. Toolkit (Spanish) Toolkit (English)
