New STOP briefing looks at Global Action to End Smoking’s 2024 tax return

STOP, the global tobacco industry watchdog, has published a new briefing examining Global Action to End Smoking’s 2024 US tax return and recent organisational changes. The briefing questions whether GAES’s 2024 finances are consistent with its promise, following termination of its pledge agreement with Philip Morris International (PMI) in 2023, to operate without tobacco industry funding.

The briefing found that:

“Despite its uncertain future, one thing remains true: GAES is still linked to the tobacco industry, and is still funding projects with money from one of the largest cigarette companies in the world. The group continues masking the industry’s influence over science, and the projects it funds continue to align with the industry’s interests.”

The briefing also notes that GAES has invested much of the PMI money in US Treasury securities and corporate bonds, while announcing staff changes and a plan to move to a fully virtual headquarters.

Read the full briefing here.

For more on this topic see the Tobacco Tactics articles on Global Action to End Smoking and Foundation for a Smoke‑Free World Grantees, and visit the STOP website for previous analyses of FSFW/GAES tax returns.