The Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation is investing an additional €4.2 billion to combat smoking, e-cigarettes and other nicotine use around the world.
According to the foundation, 2.8 billion will be used in low and middle income countries. 1.4 billion will go directly to campaigns to counteract the spread of e-cigarettes in the US.
"I am proud to say that we are making progress, most recently in California where most flavoured tobacco and nicotine products are now banned" says Kelly Henning, head of the health programme at Bloomberg Philanthropies in London. a press release.
Criticised for political lobbying
The Bloomberg Foundation is also responsible for much of the funding for the programme. WHO Tobacco Convention. In recent years, the Foundation has been heavily criticised by scientists and health professionals for actively pushing for legislation that reduces the availability of harm reduction nicotine products.
According to Clive Bates, a former chairman of the UK's Action on Smoking and Health and now an international consultant on sustainability issues, the Foundation contributes to protect the cigarette trade in the world, rather than reducing it. The Bloomberg Foundation, for example, has funded groups in low-income countries where the government owns or has interests in tobacco companies, such as in India," says Mr Perez. Clive Bates.
"In India, foundation-supported organisations pushed for a total ban on e-cigarettes. This is in a country where a large part of the population smokes. We know that e-cigarettes help reduce smoking in other countries, both through randomised control trials and population data. Banning these products, while keeping cigarettes in every shop, is not only deeply unethical, but actively contributes to the protection of the cigarette trade", said Mr Van Rompuy. Clive Bates i a comment to the Indian ban.
Suspected bribery
Organisations funded by Bloomberg have also been directly involved in shaping legislation around new nicotine products in the Philippines, where allegations of on bribery and neo-colonialism shook the country's public health authority in 2022.
In Europe, the Foundation's activities include university grants and support for the organisation Tobacco Tactics at the University of Bath, UK. Tobacco Tactics investigates organisations and individuals believed to have links to the tobacco industry and makes the information public.
