The UN is Failing
The United Nations is failing to address tobacco harm reduction in the Asia Pacific region, according to The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates
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by Dave Cross
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The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has strongly criticised the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for its continued neglect of tobacco harm reduction strategies in its recent report on drug policies and health.
Despite overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of harm reduction approaches in countries like New Zealand, the UNHRC report fails to acknowledge the potential of safer nicotine products to save millions of lives across the Asia Pacific region.
Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, said: “The UN's wilful ignorance of tobacco harm reduction is costing lives. Whilst countries like New Zealand have achieved their smokefree goals years ahead of schedule through progressive policies, the UN continues to push outdated, prohibitionist approaches that have failed time and time again.”
CAPHRA points to New Zealand's remarkable success in reducing smoking rates from 11.9% in 2020 to a historic low of 6.9% in 2024, with rates among youth now so low they are difficult to measure accurately.
“This achievement stands as clear evidence of the power of embracing harm reduction strategies. The success is particularly notable compared to countries adhering to WHO guidelines, where smoking rates remain stubbornly high,” continued Ms Loucas.
The organisation is calling on Asia Pacific governments to reject the UN's flawed approach and instead follow the lead of successful harm reduction models. CAPHRA is urging policymakers to implement risk-proportionate regulation for safer nicotine products, ensure adult access to a range of harm reduction alternatives, and integrate tobacco harm reduction into national health strategies.
Loucas concluded: “It's time for the UN and WHO to step aside and let evidence-based policies save lives. The people of Asia Pacific deserve better than to be sacrificed on the altar of outdated ideology.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. CAPHRA is not related to or funded by any commercial interests. It is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region.
CAPHRA says it “stays committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use. We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”
- Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/
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Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
