Global Action to End Smoking welcomes the continued attention at COP11 to the rapidly evolving landscape of nicotine and tobacco products.
The parties, consisting of the 183 countries that have either ratified or pledged to ratify the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, agreed to ban the use or sale of heated tobacco products and disposable e-cigarettes on all United Nations premises worldwide. However, there was no global consensus on broader measures related to reduced-risk products, including e-cigarettes, flavored tobacco, or other emerging nicotine technologies.
This disagreement signals that there is a growing acceptance of the extensive scientific research, which shows that tobacco harm reduction is a valid form of smoking cessation for adults who cannot or otherwise will not quit. Evidence-based regulation of alternative nicotine products can play an important role in helping adults transition away from cigarettes and improving public health worldwide. At the same time, it is vital that youth or those who have never used nicotine be protected from potentially developing an addiction.
Global Action remains committed to supporting the research on all the ways adult smokers can quit—including with the use of less risky, reduced-risk nicotine products, when appropriate.
The above can be attributed to Dr. Ehsan Latif, Senior Vice President, Grants Management and Health and Science Strategy of Global Action to End Smoking.