SHAF is a national, non-profit health organization formed in 1974 to conduct public policy research and education designed to reduce tobacco-related disease and death. SHAF is the sister organization of the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, and acts as a policy think-tank for governments and NGOs in Canada and abroad. Through its evidence-based research on topical issues in tobacco control, SHAF has provided a crucial bridge between academics, policy-makers in government, and the wider health community.

Particular areas of expertise include:

• The economics of tobacco control

• Packaging and labelling of tobacco products

• Taxation, pricing and smuggling

• Harm reduction and alternative nicotine delivery systems

• Advertising and sponsorship

• Second-hand smoke

• Mechanisms for recovery of health care costs by government.

SHAF's many contributions to public debate include academic articles, policy papers, as well as speeches and presentations at numerous national and international conferences. SHAF staff have acted as consultants to the World Health Organization, the International Union Against Cancer, the World Bank, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.K. Ministry of Public Health, the South African and the New Zealand Ministers of Health, and the governments of Thailand and Brazil.