Alternative Research Initiative
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Alternative Research Initiative, Tobacco Tactics, updated 08 June 2022, accessed 11 April 2024.
The Alternative Research Initiative is a research organisation, based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It was founded in 2017 and describes itself as focused on “providing researched-based solutions in a variety of social fields, including health, education, governance, culture, etc”.12
Links to the tobacco industry
Funded by the Foundation for a Smoke-free World
The organisation has received funding on several occasions from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), an organization solely funded by Philip Morris International (PMI). In 2018, ARI received U$S285,200 for “mapping the status of harm reduction products framework in Pakistan” and to conduct a study on smoking cessation and harm reduction products in marginalized communities in Pakistan.3 In 2019, FSFW granted US$123,420 to the Alternative Research Initiative, to “conduct a knowledge, attitudes and practices survey evaluating the use of harm reduction products (HRPs), mainly e-cigarettes, in 11 urban districts of Pakistan” and to “conduct a qualitative survey barriers to smoking cessation in marginalized areas of Islamabad, and assess the possible use of e-cigarettes in these areas”.3
During 2020, ARI received US$340,960 from the Foundation for a Smoke-free world for two different grants: one to “study on barriers to smoking cessation and reduced risk products in marginalized communities in Pakistan” and a second one, more focused on advocacy, to “Garner consensus and support for COP9 to consider harm reduction as integral to tobacco control”.3 This last grant is one of fifteen grants awarded in 2020 by FSFW that focusses on influencing the Conference of Parties of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).3 ARI received a further US$193, 760 for this activity in 2021.4 In 2022 ARI received US$259,981 to “Support capacity of PANTHR (Pakistan Alliance for Nicotine and Tobacco Harm Reduction) to increase access to tools that support cessation and tobacco harm reduction in Pakistan, including engaging with health professionals to reduce impediments to access”.5
Pakistan Alliance for Nicotine and Tobacco Harm Reduction (PANTHR)
The Pakistan Alliance for Nicotine and Tobacco Harm Reduction (PANTHR) is a project of the Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) with the stated aim of promoting solutions for smoking cessation in Pakistan and EMRO region (PANTHR EMR).6 The organisation’s purpose is stated as follows:
“The alliance serves as a platform for advocating and promoting all innovative solutions for ending smoking whether counselling, NRTs, or harm reduction”.7
For more information, go to Pakistan Alliance for Nicotine and Tobacco Harm Reduction (PANTHR)
Relevant Link
Alternative Research Initiative website
Tobacco Tactics Resources
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW)
Pakistan Alliance for Nicotine and Tobacco Harm Reduction (PANTHR)
