The Action on Smoking and Health Foundation (ASH Foundation) participated in and presented its work at the 2025 World Conference on Tobacco Control. The conference was organized by The Union with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The Action on Smoking and Health Foundation (ASH Foundation), supported by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), backed a network of partners to attend and exchange lessons on enforcing smoke-free public spaces.
This took place at the 8th Asia Pacific Smoke-Free Meeting, themed "Rising amidst the challenges: Strengthening and sustaining smoke-free implementation and enforcement." The event was organized by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) in Baguio City, Philippines, from October 27-28, 2022. It brought together over 150 members from eight ASEAN countries: Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Day 1 Presentations focused on ongoing smoke-free city initiatives, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delegates from Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines shared their experiences. The discussion also addressed the rise of e-cigarette use, which poses a significant challenge to tobacco control enforcement. The group agreed that a key solution is to target the source: online sales channels. This requires collaboration with e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada, as well as social media networks like TikTok and Telegram that promote a harmful image of e-cigarette use. A brainstorm session was held on enforcement challenges in Thailand. Participants reached a consensus that empowering provincial tobacco control committees would be crucial. This would spur government-led initiatives, supported by the private sector and civil society, to create awareness and social momentum for smoke-free public spaces.
Day 2 The second day addressed the current situation, challenges, and future steps for smoke-free public spaces in each country. The common direction for future efforts was "A Healthy Smoke-Free Environment," which aligns with the global growth of tourism. In the afternoon, participants visited Baguio City, a famous Philippine resort town known for its clean air. The visit highlighted the importance that government, private, and civil society sectors place on making the city smoke-free.
