The Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation is investing an additional SEK 4.2 billion to fight smoking, e-cigarettes and other nicotine use in the world.
According to the foundation, 2.8 billion will be used in low- and middle-income countries. 1.4 billion to 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 flavored tobacco and nicotine products are now banned" says Kelly Henning, Head of the Health Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies in a press release.
Criticism for political lobbying
The Bloomberg Foundation is also behind a large part of the funding of The WHO Tobacco Convention. In recent years, the Foundation has been heavily criticized by researchers and health scientists for actively pushing legislation that reduces the availability of harm-reducing nicotine products.
According to Clive Bates, former chairman of UK Action on Smoking and Health and now an international consultant on sustainability issues, the Foundation helps to protect the cigarette trade in the world, rather than reducing it. The Bloomberg Foundation has funded groups in low-income countries where the government owns or has interests in tobacco companies, such as India, says Clive Bates.
"In India, foundation-supported organizations pushed for a total ban on e-cigarettes. This in a country where a large part of the population smokes. We know that e-cigarettes help reduce smoking in other countries, both through randomized control trials and population data. Banning these products while cigarettes remain in every shop is not only deeply unethical, but actively contributes to protecting the cigarette trade." Clive Bates i a comment to the Indian ban.
Suspected bribery
Bloomberg-funded organizations have also been directly involved in shaping legislation around new nicotine products in the Philippines, where allegations on bribery and neo-colonialism shook the country's public health authority in 2022.
In Europe, the Foundation operates through university grants and support to the organization Tobacco Tactics at the University of Bath, UK. Tobacco Tactics investigates organizations and individuals believed to have links to the tobacco industry and publishes the information
