There are more than 1 billion smokers in the world and smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death. In 2022, the Foundation continued to pursue its mission to end smoking in this generation with the urgency it demands. I feel this sense of urgency on a profoundly personal level, and I am proud to devote my time and energy to this most compelling cause.

During the first year of the Foundation’s 2022-2024 Strategic Plan, we intensified our global work funding solutions to help adult smokers quit or switch to reduced-risk products. The Foundation’s grants are supporting smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction research in 52 countries.

We are pleased to share that we’ve achieved the following toward our goals and mission. 

• We funded a grant that revealed that most doctors around the world mistakenly attribute the negative health consequences of smoking to nicotine, significantly jeopardizing the adoption of tools that help smokers quit.

• The Foundation provided grants for research that has significant impact in the scientific community. Since 2018, that research has led to 81 articles in scientific publications that garnered 1,933 references and 559 citations that were cited 3,128 times.

• Our grants supported education initiatives for scholars who will play a critical leadership role in advancing cessation, tobacco harm reduction, and agricultural innovations that will help drive a culture change and a greater understanding of the dangers associated with tobacco use and dependence.

• We funded the second edition of the Tobacco Transformation Index® in support of the Foundation’s theory of change, which is predicated on the forces of competition, differentiation, and constructive engagement to indirectly influence industry behavior. To end smoking in this generation means we must also focus on attaining change within the global tobacco industry.

• Our grants also are helping to transform Malawi’s agricultural sector by reducing their dependence on tobacco exports. These grants include providing farmers with research and education so they can make economically viable, data-driven decisions that reduce their dependence on tobacco farming in favor of alternative livelihoods.

Looking ahead, our grantmaking will continue to focus on research and other charitable efforts that are aligned with the goals in our Strategic Plan. Impact will be achieved by partnering with researchers and stakeholders who share our vision of a world where smoking-related deaths and diseases are eliminated.

I am honored to work alongside the Foundation’s talented grantees, staff, leaders, and my fellow Board members, who have a determined focus on excellence, and who have enabled the Foundation’s accomplishments. The ultimate measure of our success is a decrease in the use of combustible cigarettes and other forms of toxic tobacco, and we are determined to get there.

Thank you for your continued support.