Increasing Policy Intervention in the Tobacco Industry: Report
According to a recent report by the anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the tobacco industry’s influence in shaping public health policy in the United States is increasing.
ASH’s Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, first provided to The Hill, found the US scored 89 out of 100 on the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, a survey used to measure how governments respond to tobacco industry interference.
The U.S. score ranked 98 out of 100 countries surveyed.
“Scoring is based on 20 key indicators around Article 5.3 [of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control] What the article basically says is, you know, public health needs to be protected from tobacco industry interests,” said Nichelle Gray-Lakhagvadarz, ASH’s manager of engagement and special programs and lead author of the report.
The survey covers categories including transparency; conflict of interest; interactions between government and the tobacco industry; and awareness.
“That’s a pretty terrible score, because it’s 89 out of 100 and, you know, the United States is going to be one of the worst countries again this year in our report,” Gray-Lekhagvadarz added.
This score is notable because the United States is not particularly notable in terms of its tobacco use, ranking just 52nd worldwide according to the CIA. This puts countries like China, Spain and Russia behind.
Where the US scores poorly is transparency, receiving four out of five in this category.
The report noted, “Government does not publicly disclose meetings/interactions with the tobacco industry where such interactions are strictly necessary to regulate.”
Chris Bostick, ASH policy director, noted that the tobacco industry’s involvement in the federal government is probably not a significant difference compared to other industries, but said the industry’s core product sets it apart.
“Countries should treat the tobacco industry differently because their products die when they are used as intended. It should not be treated as just a normal industry,” Bostick told The Hill.
In the past year, tobacco industry lobbying has jumped 24 percent in registrations. According to Bostick, this is likely being fueled by anti-tobacco legislative action.
“Another fear for the tobacco industry is the growing number of jurisdictions that are passing tobacco end-game laws, and these laws are ending commercial tobacco sales altogether,” Bostick said. “From zero a few years ago, we’re up to 23 jurisdictions in the United States, and so that’s a death sentence for the tobacco industry.”
To combat increased interference, ASH recommends raising awareness of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, increasing the number of executive branch recruits with years of prior work as lobbyists, and including more staff in the department.
“Ever since they signed it in 2004 HHS has said we’re in full compliance with the FCTC, and that’s just demonstrably false,” Bostick said. “And I’m not blaming any single administration. Every administration has said this, and they’ve all been wrong about it. And it’s a terrible shame because what’s in the FCTC is the blueprint for reducing death and disease from tobacco.”
