WHO Parties While Smokers Die

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, said: “The FCTC's self-congratulatory approach is deeply offensive to communities devastated by preventable tobacco deaths. While they celebrate incremental victories, over one billion people globally continue smoking, with the majority in low and middle-income countries across our region. Their refusal to acknowledge harm reduction alternatives is costing countless lives.”

The regional advocacy organisation believes that despite mounting evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction, the FCTC continues to marginalise consumer advocates whilst maintaining policies that deny smokers access to potentially life-saving alternatives. 

“The FCTC systematically excludes these voices from policy deliberations, dismissing their lived experiences and denying others who smoke in Asia the opportunity to access reduced harm alternatives,” it states.

Countries in the Asia Pacific region face severe consequences from the FCTC's stance. India, despite implementing vaping bans in 2019, continues to see approximately one million tobacco-related deaths annually while a thriving black market has emerged. Similarly, Australia's restrictive approach has fuelled an illicit market worth billions. 

“In contrast, nations embracing harm reduction have achieved remarkable success,” says Ms Loucas.

“The FCTC's unwillingness to evolve in the face of overwhelming evidence amounts to a human rights issue. By reducing tobacco harm reduction to an industry construct, the FCTC effectively sentences millions to preventable suffering.”

CAPHRA has called on delegates to the upcoming COP11 meeting to adopt risk-proportionate regulations that distinguish safer alternatives from deadly combustible products, subject FCTC policies to United Nations human rights oversight, and acknowledge the successes of countries who have embraced tobacco harm reduction in their public health policies that confirms the scientific consensus on safer nicotine products as critical harm reduction tools. 

“The right to health includes access to information and harm reduction strategies,” concluded Loucas. “Consumer advocates are essential partners in reducing the devastating toll of smoking-related diseases across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.” 

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations.  Speaking on its financial independence, CAPHRA says it is not related to, or funded by any commercial interests. It is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region. 

“We hope putting forward this information would clarify any doubt as to our interests and intentions,” the organisation adds.

“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.”

References:

• The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/   
• CAPHRA’s letter to the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council - https://www.caphraorg.net/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2025-response_to_UNSR_THR-final.pdf 

Photo Credit:

• Author generated image using AI with logo added

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave 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.