Consumers Demand COP11 Inclusion
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates has demanded that the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control embraces consumers at COP11
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by Dave Cross
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The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has demanded the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) end its exclusion of consumer organisations and adopt evidence-based tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a vital public health strategy ahead of its COP11 meeting.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates says that despite documented success in nations regulating safer nicotine products, such as vapes and tobacco-free pouches, the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control continues to marginalise consumer advocates and disregard real-world outcomes.
It goes on to point out that New Zealand’s adult smoking rate fell to under 6% in 2024 following progressive vaping policies, while Japan’s adoption of heated tobacco products has driven smoking rates to record lows, with peer-reviewed research estimating 12 million preventable health cases averted annually alongside significant healthcare savings.
Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s Executive Coordinator, said: “The WHO’s refusal to engage with consumer groups—those most directly affected by its policies—undermines global public health. By silencing consumer voices and dismissing safer alternatives, they prioritise ideology over science, costing lives.”
Loucas says recent studies validate the potential of tobacco harm reduction policies; research published in PubMed (2024) found Japan’s shift to heated tobacco could prevent millions of smoking-related illnesses, while Australia’s prohibitionist approach has fuelled a thriving black market for unregulated vaping products, exposing consumers to greater risks.
CAPHRA is calling on COP11 delegates to grant formal observer status to consumer groups, adopt risk-proportionate regulations distinguishing safer products from cigarettes, and subject WHO FCTC policies to United Nations human rights oversight. The organisation contends that, with 1.1 billion global smokers, the WHO’s current stance risks millions of preventable deaths.
“The WHO must evolve. Consumer advocates are not the enemy—they’re the bridge to pragmatic solutions and essential partners in reducing smoking-related harm,” Loucas stressed. “COP11 must prioritise transparency and science over ideology. Lives hang in the balance.”
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.
The Coalition says: “CAPHRA 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.”
Photo Credit:
Photo by Max Kleinen on Unsplash
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.
