Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

What Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) does

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a UK public health charity established in 1971 by the Royal College of Physicians to end the harm caused by tobacco. Operating from London with 1–10 staff, ASH functions as an evidence-based policy and advocacy organisation rather than a commercial enterprise. Its core offerings consist of research publications (reports, fact sheets, briefings, statistical updates on adult and youth vaping/smoking), interactive analytical tools (the ASH Ready Reckoner, Data and Cost Calculators, Regional Public Opinion Tool), professional resource bundles (Local Toolkit, NHS Tobacco Dependence Treatment Resources, Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group materials), and ongoing campaigns (Tobacco and Vapes Act, Addressing the Three Biggest Killers, Pledge for a Smokefree UK). ASH also coordinates the Smokefree Action Coalition (over 300 UK organisations) and provides the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, a cross-party group of MPs and Peers founded in 1976.

ASH's revenue model relies on charitable grants and donations. Stated programme funding comes from Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, with secondary income from donations. All publications, tools, and resources are provided free of charge — there is no commercial pricing. The go-to-market motion is community- and coalition-led: ASH influences policy through parliamentary engagement, daily media commentary (with 24/7 spokespeople), coalition communications through 300+ SFAC member organisations, and structured professional networks for NHS, local authorities, healthcare professionals, and elected councillors. Customer-facing segments are therefore governmental and institutional — government policymakers, NHS and healthcare professionals, local authorities and councils, and the general public via fact sheets and ASH Daily News — rather than transactional buyers.

ASH's measurable impact includes contributing to UK adult smoking prevalence falling from approximately 27% in 2000 to just under 11% in 2024, helping nearly 2,000 babies avoid premature birth or low birthweight since 2020 through maternal smoking-cessation support, and influencing major tobacco-control legislation including smokefree laws, standardised packaging, point-of-sale display bans, and the Tobacco and Vapes Act. The organisation is led by Chief Executive Deborah Arnott (with Hazel Cheeseman also listed as Chief Executive in recent input, indicating a leadership transition), Deputy Chief Executive Hazel Cheeseman, Policy and Public Affairs Manager John Waldron, and Chair Professor Nick Hopkinson of Imperial College London.

Name

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

Legal name

Action on Smoking and Health

Website

https://ash.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a UK public health charity founded in 1971 by the Royal College of Physicians that produces tobacco-control research, analytical tools, and campaigns to influence government, NHS, local authorities, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Advocacy

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Promotion, Prevention & Community Health Programs (BPAIAJAC), Program Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) (HLAJANAA), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Tobacco control advocacy
• Public health policy
• Smoking cessation resources
• Health economics research
• Coalition coordination services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable grants and donations: ASH operates as a nonprofit public health charity funded primarily through grants and donations from major health charities. Their stated funding comes from Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation for their core programme of work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a UK public health charity that produces evidence-based research, policy recommendations, and data tools to support tobacco control, and coordinates the Smokefree Action Coalition (300+ member organisations) and provides the secretariat for the APPG on Smoking & Health. Its deliverables include reports, fact sheets, briefings, webinars, interactive cost calculators (ASH Ready Reckoner), professional toolkits for NHS and local authorities, and ongoing public-facing campaigns on tobacco and vaping policy.

Product overview

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a public health charity that serves as an advocacy and policy organisation rather than a traditional product company. ASH's offerings consist of publications (reports, fact sheets, briefings, webinars), analytical tools (ASH Ready Reckoner, Data and Cost Calculators, Regional Public Opinion Tool), professional resources (Local Toolkit, NHS Tobacco Dependence Treatment Resources, Smoking in Pregnancy resources), and campaigns (The Tobacco and Vapes Act, Addressing the Three Biggest Killers, Pledge for a Smokefree UK). ASH also coordinates the Smokefree Action Coalition (over 300 organisations) and provides secretariat services for the APPG on Smoking & Health. The organisation's core offering is evidence-based tobacco control intelligence, not a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASH Ready Reckoner

Quantifiable outcome

• UK smoking prevalence more than halved from around 27% in 2000 to just under 11% in 2024, attributed in part to ASH and SFAC campaigning
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Research UK: One of ASH's two primary funders and a major UK health charity addressing cancer prevention including tobacco-related cancers. Highly comparable as a large UK health charity engaged in tobacco control research, policy advocacy, and public education.
• British Heart Foundation: ASH's second primary funder and a leading UK cardiovascular health charity that actively campaigns on smoking-related heart disease. Comparable as a major UK health charity with overlapping tobacco control advocacy and policy engagement.

Regional players

• Fresh (UK North East): Regional tobacco control programme for North East England, one of the UK's first dedicated regional tobacco control offices. Comparable as a dedicated tobacco control advocacy and education programme operating within the UK framework.
• Tobacco and Vape Free Living (Cancer Council Victoria): Australian tobacco control programme operated by Cancer Council Victoria, recognised globally for evidence-based tobacco control advocacy. Comparable as a dedicated tobacco control advocacy body with strong policy research and campaign capabilities in a non-UK market.
• ASH Wales: Welsh counterpart to ASH, working on tobacco and vaping policy within Wales. Directly comparable as a national tobacco control advocacy charity with parallel mission and structure in a different UK jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Leading US nonprofit advocacy organisation focused on reducing tobacco use, particularly among children. Comparable as a dedicated tobacco control policy and advocacy organisation running campaigns, coalition coordination, and legislative engagement.
• Action on Smoking and Health (US): The American counterpart organisation sharing the ASH name and mission. Directly comparable as a national tobacco control advocacy charity coordinating policy campaigns, research, and coalition-building in the US.

Others

• Framework Convention Alliance: Global alliance of civil society organisations supporting the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Comparable as an international tobacco control advocacy coalition that ASH engages with through its UK and global policy work.

Emerging players

• Obesity Health Alliance: UK coalition of health organisations campaigning to address obesity, partnering with ASH on the Three Biggest Killers joint campaign. Comparable as a UK health advocacy coalition using policy campaigns and public education.
• Alcohol Health Alliance: UK coalition of organisations addressing alcohol-related harm, with which ASH partners on the Three Biggest Killers campaign. Highly comparable in structure and operating model as a UK public health advocacy coalition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ash_latest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ASHorgUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/ASH.PUBL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/action-on-smoking-and-health-uk-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)