The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today launched a scathing criticism of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for their opaque and closed-door decisions at the COP10.

“The WHO FCTC's refusal to acknowledge Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) contradicts the acceptance of harm reduction in other areas of public health,” said Nancy Loucas, a public health policy expert and passionate advocate for tobacco harm reduction and executive coordinator of CAPHRA.

In a hard-hitting submission that reinforces harm reduction as a human right, CAPHRA is calling for the UN’s Special Rapporteur to review the behaviour of the WHO FCTC and the Global Ambassador for Non-Communicable Diseases regarding the stigmatization of THR and its supporters.

“Consumers of safer nicotine products face criminalisation in countries with outright bans, such as India and Thailand, and are stigmatised globally by public health officials, tobacco controllers, and NGOs,” said Ms Loucas.

“Yet, Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) has been successfully implemented in countries like New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, significantly reducing combustible tobacco use rates and moving closer to the 2030 global goal of less than 5% of the population using combustible tobacco”.

“CAPHRA is also highlighting the disconnect between the UN's policies on the Right to Health and the WHO FCTC's stance on harm reduction with the WHO FCTC shifting its focus to nicotine, including safer products that millions of adults have used to quit smoking,” said Ms Loucas.

“We believe that the FCTC should prioritise science-based, inclusive policymaking based on the best available evidence and ensure that all stakeholders are included in the decision-making process. By incorporating harm reduction strategies and focusing on reducing smoking prevalence, the WHO FCTC can make progress towards its goal of reducing the global burden of tobacco-related diseases and deaths,” Ms Loucas said.

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