Tobacco-Free Italy: The Alliance is born| Tabaccologia

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On February 18, 2025, the Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Italy was officially founded. This non-profit organization is entirely independent of any direct or indirect conflicts of interest with the tobacco and electronic cigarette industries. The Alliance stems from the promoting group of the Italian advocacy movement Tobacco Endgame, active since 2015, created to give voice to the Manifesto supporting a tobacco endgame strategy in Italy [1]. The Manifesto has been endorsed by several major scientific societies, foundations, and national organizations, including the Italian Society of Tobaccology (SITAB) [2]. SITAB has played a key role in the movement, with at least four of its members – namely, the authors of this editorial – being part of the promoting group of Tobacco Endgame.

Since 2018, the group has relied on the website to continue its advocacy and information efforts. Updated weekly, the website remains a valuable and authoritative resource in Italy for those seeking independent, evidence-based information on tobacco and tobacco control policies. With over 400 original articles read by more than 500,000 visitors, the website is the result of the tireless and outstanding dedication of Paolo D’Argenio, author of most of the content, supported by the valuable contribution of the promoting group.

In recent years, Tobacco Endgame has promoted a wide range of advocacy initiatives, including campaigns to increase taxation on traditional tobacco, heated tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes, as well as efforts to expose the true intentions of the tobacco industry in policymaking and in sponsoring medical conferences. The group also contributed to the Italian sections of the Tobacco Industry Interference Index in 2021 and 2023 [3], investigated the impact of new tobacco products, and refuted the tobacco industry’s rhetoric around so-called “harm reduction” strategies.

Ten years after its inception, the movement now assumes a formal legal structure through the founding of the Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Italy, enabling it to establish agreements and collaborations not only within Italy but also with major independent European networks focused on tobacco control, such as the Smoke-Free Partnership (SFP) and the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP). The Alliance will also be eligible to apply for competitive funding and grants to further strengthen its advocacy strategies.

In addition to Paolo D’Argenio, who represents the driving force behind the Alliance, and the four SITAB representatives (Silvano Gallus, Vincenzo Zagà, Giuseppe Gorini, and Maria Sofia Cattaruzza), the founding members include Fabrizio Faggiano, an internationally renowned epidemiologist with a long-standing commitment to prevention and health promotion, Lorenzo Salvadori, a website creation and management expert, and Eva Benelli, journalist of Zadig, one of Italy’s most respected scientific journalism agencies. Maria Sofia Cattaruzza (Past-President of SITAB) has been appointed president of the Alliance, while Silvano Gallus (Editor-in-Chief of Tabaccologia) has been named Vice President and Lorenzo Salvadori General Secretary.

The Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Italy aims to:

1. Inform policymakers and citizens with the most up-to-date and independent scientific evidence and effective tobacco control policies;
2. Monitor tobacco market trends, product usage, and related harms, as well as industry lobbying and marketing activities;
3. Raise awareness among health and communication professionals about the health threats posed by tobacco and the tobacco industry, debunking their misleading rhetoric and communication strategies;
4. Conduct information campaigns and advocacy efforts aimed at encouraging policymakers to adopt effective measures against tobacco use and nicotine addiction;
5. Support Italy’s cooperation with the World Health Organization within the framework of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

At a time when – at least overseas – political decisions risk reversing progress in public health and research [4], and in a country like Italy, one of the most affected by tobacco industry interference [3], it is crucial to have and sustain an independent advocacy movement capable of exerting constant pressure on the Government, Parliament, and national institutions. Only then will it be possible to push for the adoption of the most effective policies to contain – and ultimately eliminate – the tobacco smoking epidemic.

For this reason, we invite everyone who envisions a tobacco-free society to join the Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Italy.

References

1. Tobacco Endgame. Alleanza per un’Italia Senza Tabacco. Manifesto endgame.Publisher Full Text
2. Tobacco Endgame. Alleanza per un’Italia Senza Tabacco. Chi Siamo.Publisher Full Text
3. Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control. Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index. 2023. Publisher Full Text
4. The Lancet. American chaos: standing up for health and medicine. Lancet. 2025; 405:439. DOI