Project Sunset is an ASH-led global campaign to convince policy makers to phase out the sale of commercial tobacco products. The qualifier “commercial” is to make clear that we are not including tobacco for sacred or ceremonial use among Native Americans.
Sunset is focused entirely on the sale, not individual purchase, possession or use.
The campaign includes efforts to address the social, political, and structural factors that sustain the tobacco epidemic, in order to end it within a specified time period.
The name “Project Sunset” is derived from a tobacco industry scheme in the 1990s to renormalize smoking, which they called “Project Sunrise.” Our Project Sunset reframes the conversation away from controlling tobacco-related death and disease to eliminating it.
Project Sunset is grounded in the understanding that the tobacco epidemic is caused by the actions of the tobacco industry.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and cigarettes and other products have been engineered to be as addictive as possible. The majority of tobacco users became addicted as children, when consent was impossible. It is in part for this reason that the campaign is focused entirely on the tobacco industry and its products, not individual possession or use. Governments have a human rights obligation when enacting endgame policies to ensure access to cessation resources and support for tobacco users.
Project Sunset prioritizes combustible tobacco, because that is the form of tobacco use that does nearly all of the damage to health in most countries. Depending on national or local contexts, policy makers may want to include smokeless and/or electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS) in their sales ban. There is a debate within the public health community on the reaction to ENDS; ASH’s stance is that we must not allow this debate to delay addressing the products that we all agree kill when used as intended.
There are a few “cardinal rules” for jurisdictions wishing to implement Project Sunset.
Governments have an obligation to aid in cessation.
Second, no penalties for purchase, possession or use.
Global Coordination
ASH has formed U.S. and global steering committees of experts to guide its work on Project Sunset.
