Experts Demand WHO Embrace Tobacco Harm Reduction
A coalition of tobacco harm reduction experts urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize innovative products like vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches. They argue the WHO’s prohibitionist stance contradicts its goal of reducing tobacco-related deaths. This call to action was made during an international webinar titled “How the WHO Undermines World No Tobacco Day.”
The Taxpayer’s Protection Alliance (TPA), a key organizer, criticized the WHO for ignoring evidence that supports harm reduction tools in helping smokers quit. Martin Cullip, a leading harm reduction advocate, pointed out that the WHO overlooks the very populations most at risk. “The WHO dismisses adult smokers and vapers, even though adults bear the vast majority of tobacco-related harm. It’s odd to see the organization celebrate bans on products that aren’t even made from tobacco,” Cullip noted.
Global Voices Criticize WHO’s Prohibition Policies
Speakers from Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom highlighted how WHO’s rigid policies worsen smoking-related deaths and fuel illicit markets. Pippa Starr, founder of ALIVE (Australia, Let’s Improve Vaping Education), emphasized that the WHO’s rhetoric has stagnated for over a decade. “Eleven or 12 years ago, they warned we could lose up to a billion lives this century if current trends continued. Now, we’re on track to lose 1.2 billion,” she said.
Starr also cited Australia’s struggles, where a large black market thrives and 66 people die daily from smoking-related diseases. “These outcomes are tied to WHO-endorsed policies. Instead of rewarding failed approaches, the WHO should focus on saving lives,” she added.
Harm Reduction Advocates Call for Realistic Solutions
Kurt Yeo, international harm reduction advocate and co-founder of Vaping Saved My Life (VSML), criticized WHO for being disconnected from real-world challenges. “WHO policies are scripted and disconnected. We need a full range of tools for a smoke-free future. Prohibition has failed in countries like Mexico, India, and Singapore,” Yeo said.
He added, “In Africa, where cessation support is scarce and illicit cigarette trade is rampant, there’s little will to help smokers quit. This simply doesn’t fit.”
Reem Ibrahim, communications manager at a UK economic institute, accused the WHO of ignoring scientific evidence. “Harm reduction works. These products help people quit smoking, but WHO’s strategy blocks access and harms public health,” Ibrahim said.
Successful National Strategies Contrast WHO Approach
Ibrahim pointed out that countries like the UK and Sweden have embraced tobacco harm reduction. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) openly supports vaping as a quitting aid, stating that while nicotine is addictive, it lacks the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. “Nicotine does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease, or stroke,” NHS materials explain.
Sweden’s smoking rate has dropped below 5 percent, largely thanks to allowing adults to choose safer nicotine alternatives like snus, a culturally accepted product. “This success directly opposes WHO’s stance,” Ibrahim said.
Philippine Advocates Back Tobacco Harm Reduction
Responding locally, the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP) highlighted how alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco have helped millions quit smoking. NCUP president Anton Israel said, “Tobacco harm reduction (THR) offers consumers less harmful choices and is more effective than outright bans, especially for those unwilling or unable to quit nicotine entirely.”
Israel stressed that smoke-free nicotine products significantly reduce exposure to toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
Calls for WHO to Embrace Innovation
The TPA urged the WHO to welcome innovation and collaborate with consumers to combat the global smoking crisis. Scientific studies show e-cigarettes are at least 95 percent less harmful than traditional cigarettes, supported by health agencies in the UK.
Though not risk-free, vaping is recognized as far less harmful and has helped thousands quit smoking. The NHS even runs trials supplying e-cigarettes to smokers looking to quit.
Despite the WHO’s mission to reduce tobacco deaths, panelists say it continues to oppose safer alternatives proven to aid quitting. They called on the WHO and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to listen to consumers, support harm reduction, and embrace innovation as the key to ending the global smoking epidemic.
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