The inaugural Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN25) was hailed as a success by its host, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), which gathered experts and advocates urging the adoption of tobacco harm reduction across the Asia-Pacific, home to 781 million smokers.
Speakers criticized the WHO FCTC for rejecting safer alternatives like vaping and heated tobacco, despite evidence that they are 95% less harmful than cigarettes. They warned that bans drive black markets and stall progress, citing successes in Sweden, Japan, and New Zealand.
With COP11 approaching in November, CAPHRA cautioned that excluding THR voices risks condemning millions to preventable deaths.
