COP10 - Tobacco Reporter

Sticking to its Guns

The U.K. government believes that vapes comprise an important tool for helping adults quit tobacco smoking, a position its delegation will put forward during COP10, according to Dame Andrea Leadsom, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for health and social care.

Leadsom was speaking on Jan. 18 at Westminster during a backbench debate organised by MP Andrew Lewer and aimed at uncovering what stance the government would take at COP10, the 10th Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is due to be held in Panama on Feb. 5-10.

Lewer, and others who spoke during the debate, were concerned that COP10 might resolve to establish equivalence in the regulation of combustible cigarettes and reduced-risk products, thus undermining the U.K.’s successful strategy of using vapes to help smokers quit their habit. Their concerns had been inflamed because previously they had been unable to wring from the government information about who would go to Panama as part of the U.K.’s delegation and what positions they would take.

Leadsom said the U.K. delegation would be led by the U.K.’s deputy chief medical officer, Jeanelle de Gruchy, but gave only a rough overview of the U.K.’s position. Referring to the discussions that would take place about progress on tobacco control worldwide, she said the U.K. was an outlier on the topic of vapes, and would be putting forward its position that vapes were a very important tool for helping adults to quit. The U.K. government would welcome other parties going further on tobacco control, but it would be monitoring the negotiations to ensure that “nothing becomes mandatory.”

On novel and emerging tobacco products, said Leadsom, different parties took different approaches. Currently, the U.K. was still looking at issues around heated tobacco, so the U.K. delegation would be in listening mode in this respect.

She said the U.K. had no plans to implement further restrictions on advertising and sponsorship, and she said that it would be pressing for no increase to be made in assessed FCTC contributions.

This last point was likely to have been in response to concerns expressed by some during the debate that while the U.K. was a major contributor to the FCTC, it seemed diffident in its approach to tobacco COPs. It was suggested that U.K. taxpayers might end up paying for policies that ran counter to their interests.

This was perhaps something of a concern because the debate never got to grips with the issues of how COP proposals could be blocked by individual parties, and, if they were not blocked, whether they were binding on all parties. The latter issue would not be so worrisome currently because the U.K. government has shown itself to be relaxed in its approach to complying with international agreements and laws, but it might become more of an issue if the current government is replaced in this election year.–George Gay

January 22, 2024

COP Must Respect Science, Consumers

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s (TPA) Consumer Center accused the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of ignoring science and the rights of consumers in its pursuit of restrictive tobacco control measures, as the global body prepares for its 10^th Conference of the Parties (COP10) this year.

Martin Cullip, an international fellow at TPA issued the statement criticizing the WHO FCTC’s focus on policies known as MPOWER, which rely solely on restrictions on the supply and demand of tobacco products while ignoring other proven measures to help smokers quit.

“While the WHO has had some success in the past, it is far from effective,” Cullip said. “Twenty years ago, when the FCTC treaty was first implemented, there were around 1 billion smokers worldwide and this number is not changing meaningfully.”

Cullip said that despite decades of WHO’s restrictive tobacco control policies, most countries are not reducing smoking fast enough and will miss the WHO’s target to reduce smoking rates by 30 percent.

He said the current approach focusing on control and restrictions, hasn’t delivered on its intended outcomes. “International treaties should have three main aims: grow global membership, encourage parties to implement measures consistent with the aims of the treaty, and measure outcomes as a result of its actions,” he said. “The WHO FCTC does the first two effectively, but not the third one at all.”

“It is the lack of regard for outcomes which has led to many, including former WHO health directors, to declare that its approach is ‘not fit for purpose,’” he added.

Cullip said the WHO’s focus had shifted from tackling the harms of tobacco smoke to fighting nicotine itself. “It seems that reducing death and disease is not an objective for them,” he said. “Their approach has changed to an attack on nicotine, which on its own, causes very little harm, instead of combustible tobacco, which kills.”

He blamed the WHO’s “anti-scientific position” for the rise in global smoking rates, which leave smokers confused and more likely to carry on smoking rather than considering safer products that don’t burn tobacco.

Cullip also criticized the WHO’s alleged disregard for harm reduction strategies, which seek to reduce harm for those who won’t abstain from tobacco use.

He said the WHO has consistently failed to respect article 1(d) of the FCTC which includes “harm reduction strategies” as one of the main pillars of tobacco control.

“Instead, the WHO promotes prohibition. Despite the abject failure of the war on drugs and any other prohibition in modern history, the WHO chooses to wage the war on nicotine. These recommendations distract countries from implementing measures that can improve the lives of their populations,” he said.

Cullip said the WHO’s process excludes public participation and disregards consumer rights, violating the spirit of the Ottawa Charter which emphasizes individual control over health choices.

“It is well past time the WHO FCTC process listened to the public it is supposed to serve,” he said. “The evidence in favor of harm reduction is increasing, and the WHO cannot ignore stakeholders who are central to the debate forever.”

Cullip called on the WHO FCTC to embrace all approaches in its policy discussions, honestly assess evidence and allow for greater public participation to achieve effective tobacco control strategies.

He also suggested that countries explore alternative methods beyond those dictated by the WHO to address their individual smoking challenges.

“Keeping doing more of the same and hoping for a different outcome is insanity. The number of smokers won’t go meaningfully down unless the WHO recognizes that a change is needed. Safer nicotine products are not the enemy, it is smoked tobacco,” he said.

January 22, 2024

New COP and MOP Dates Announced

The World Health Organization has announced the dates for the resumed in-person sessions of the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Following communication received from Panama, the host country of COP10 and MOP3, and in consultation with the Bureaus of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC and of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, the dates for the resumed in-person sessions of COP10 and MOP3 have now been set as follows:

Resumed COP10: Feb. 5-10, 2024
Resumed MOP3: Feb 12-15, 2024

November 28, 2023

‘Systemic Failures’ Blamed for COP Delay

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) blames “systemic failures” at the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for the postponement of the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) that was due to take place last week in Panama.

“While the ‘official’ reason for the postponement of the conference was said to be security issues on the ground in Panama, it has come to light that the unfulfilled COP10 organization contract for which $5 million was allocated by the Panamanian Ministry of Health was terminated by the government at the end of October, finding itself without any service provider to ensure the event took place,” CAPHRA wrote in an e-mailed statement.

“The fact that the WHO FCTC knew in October that they did not have a venue or conference planning underway and waited until the week before the conference was due to begin before cancelling it shows contempt for member states and a blatant disregard and dismissal of the months spent creating and submitting position papers, requesting budget allocations from their governments and planning their attendance—including airfares, visas and hotel reservations,” the tobacco harm reduction group wrote.

“But then again, it seems a nonissue that $5 million disappeared, said the CAPHRA. Money that doctors in Panama said would be better spent on actual healthcare in the country—incubators, medicines and facilities.”

According to CAPHRA, the WHO FCTC’s actions not only threaten public health but also cause economic strain and foster next-generation addiction.

“The WHO FCTC is tone deaf to anything or anyone that questions the work they are mandated to do,” said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas. “This includes sabotaging health policies, negatively impacting the environment and using funds from Big Pharma and the Bloomberg Foundation, among others, to promote misleading narratives and undermine tobacco harm reduction efforts.”

November 27, 2023

Postponed COP to Prioritize ENDS Rules

The regulation of new and emerging e-cigarette, heated-tobacco and nicotine products will be one of the central topics of discussion at the COP10-MOP3 international tobacco control conferences next year, said Adriana Blanco, head of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), in a virtual press conference on Nov. 14, reported ECigIntelligence.

Speaking from the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Blanco said that proposals to create more stringent rules and health guidelines to govern new tobacco and nicotine product use will be prioritized at the COP10 (10th Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC) and the MOP3 (third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products), which will now take place in Panama next year.

November 16, 2023

COP10 Postponed

The Tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the Third session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products have been postponed to 2024.

“Following communication received from Panama, the host country of the Tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, it is no longer possible to conduct COP10 and MOP3 in November 2023, as scheduled,” the FCTC wrote on its website.

The sessions are expected to be held in Panama, as early as possible in 2024, at dates to be confirmed.

The postponement of COP10 and MOP3 is due to the current security situation in Panama, which has been shaken by mass protests about a government contract that allows a Canadian company to expand its copper mining operations there.

The Convention Secretariat said it will communicate further details in relation to COP10 and MOP3, as soon as available.

November 9, 2023

Meeting Fails to Ease Growers’ COP Fears

Tobacco growers representatives are unlikely to be admitted to the November meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Panama, according to Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, who leads Brazil’s National Commission on the Implementation of the FCTC.

Speaking during a round table in Brasília promoted by the House of Representatives. Costa e Silva said the COP has a strict policy of denying access to those who have a conflict of interest. “The secretariat, based at the WHO headquarters, has the credentials to deny participation if some kind of relationship with the industry is at stake,” she explained.

Costa e Silva also insisted that the FCTC does not mention actions that will directly impact the supply chain, but industry representatives participating in the Brasilia meeting weren’t buying it. “Today were told […] that there has never been any attempt to endanger the production of tobacco, but we know that this is not true,” said Iro Schunke, president of the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union, in a statement.

He pointed to actions in what he described as a methodical battle against the production of tobacco in Brazil. “They accuse the sector of deforestation, but it is the segment that has the biggest forest areas,” said Schunke. He also countered allegations of tobacco farmer vulnerability, pointing to recent research suggesting that tobacco farmers earn up to twice the national average income.

Despite concerns about global demand, Brazilian tobacco production and exports have been stable, Schunke noted. Farmers in southern Brazil have planted enough tobacco to harvest 604.73 million kg in 2023—7.95 percent more than in 2022, according to the country’s tobacco growers’ association, Afubra.

November 3, 2023

Activists Worried About COP Transparency

The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) is worried about the transparency and inclusivity of the upcoming COP10 meeting for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The WVA cites a recent Politico article, according to which seven EU member states have expressed reservations regarding their diminished roles and the Commission’s deviation from established practices in the face of global treaties.

“It’s deeply concerning that such pivotal discussions affecting millions of vapers and smokers across the EU might not reflect all member states’ diverse views and interests, not to mention the diverse views of their citizens,” said WVA Director Michael Landl in a statement.

“The Commission’s evident anti-harm reduction stance starkly contrasts with several member states that have been more progressive and successful with their harm reduction policies. These nations and citizens deserve to have their voices amplified and heard.”

According to the Politico report cited by the WVA, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania and Slovakia jointly released a statement highlighting the Commission’s shift from the usual consensus-based approach to using Article 218 (9) TFEU. This gives the Commission a more centralized role in the Panama negotiations, sidelining individual member states. The countries stressed the success of the consensus model in the past nine sessions and regretted the lack of a detailed explanation for the change.

Additionally, these nations lamented the absence of an ambitious proposal for a working group focusing on novel products. The established plans regarding the EU’s representation in FCTC expert working groups have also been questioned, with concerns about representation, rotation and coordination among the 27 member states.

“The EU had a true opportunity to assume leadership in smoking-cessation efforts by pushing for an ambitious and consumer-friendly harm reduction strategy. Embracing less harmful products such as vaping, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn products—which have already saved millions of smokers’ lives—would be a bold step forward. Unfortunately, the EU still has a long way to go,” remarked Landl.

October 27, 2023

PMI: COP10 Missed Opportunity

Philip Morris International is concerned that participants in the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will promote prohibitionist policies for noncombustible tobacco products, according to an article in The Guardian.

“The agenda and meeting documents have been made public for the main part,” PMI Senior Vice President of External Affairs Gregoire Verdeaux wrote in an email. “Unfortunately, they reconfirmed every concern we had that this conference may remain as the biggest missed opportunity ever in tobacco control’s history … WHO’s agenda is nothing short of a systematic, methodical, prohibitionist attack on smoke-free products.”

Without “reasonable, constructive outcomes,” Verdeaux wrote, the “WHO will have irreversibly compromised the historic opportunity for public health presented by the recognition that smoke-free products, appropriately regulated, can accelerate the decline of smoking rates faster than tobacco control combined.”

While tobacco companies are not invited to the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC, Verdeaux said he will be in Panama “to publicly denounce the absurdity of being excluded from it while PMI today [is] undoubtedly the most helpful private partner WHO could have in the fight against smoking.”

Last year, PMI made $10.19 billion in revenue from products like heated-tobacco and electronic cigarettes.

October 13, 2023

COP10 to Reject Harm Reduction: Briefing

Tobacco harm reduction will be absent at the 10^th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), according to new briefing paper published by the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR).

Scheduled for Nov. 20-23 in Panama City, COP10 will have a significant influence how tobacco policies are implemented at a national level, which in turn will determine the future of safer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and nicotine pouches.

To determine the potential impact of the conference on tobacco harm reduction, the GSTHR analyzed the COP10 agenda and supporting documents.

The GSTHR’s analysis indicates that at present, tobacco harm reduction and its potential to reduce smoking-related death and disease are entirely missing from the proceedings. The publicly available documentation ahead of the FCTC COP10 presents safer nicotine products as a threat to tobacco control rather than as potential tools to support a switch from smoking and reduce high-risk tobacco use.

Parties to the FCTC are expected to be encouraged to classify and regulate nicotine vapes, snus, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products in the same way as tobacco and combustible tobacco. This risks removing or reducing access to safer options from people who already use them and may return to smoking—and from people who smoke and have the potential to switch and improve their health, according to the GSTHR, which is a project of Knowledge Action Change (KAC).

The WHO and FCTC Secretariat’s refusal to engage with evidence from multiple countries that have witnessed accelerated declines in smoking rates is unscientific and unjustifiable.

Gerry Stimson, director, KAC

“Having observed the WHO’s activities on this issue for some time, many are unsurprised that the FCTC COP10 meeting papers reveal a concerning direction of travel,” said KAC Director Gerry Stimson in a statement.

“The WHO and FCTC Secretariat’s refusal to engage with evidence from multiple countries that have witnessed accelerated declines in smoking rates is unscientific and unjustifiable. Their repeated characterization of safer nicotine products as a threat to tobacco control runs directly counter to what should be the overarching goals of the Convention–to reduce smoking-related deaths and disease as rapidly and effectively as possible.

“People who use safer nicotine products are barred and have no voice at the FCTC COP10. Those Parties who have successfully adopted and supported access to these products as effective tools for smoking cessation must ensure that their own progress is not hindered by COP decisions—and that the potential for tobacco harm reduction is given due consideration by all Parties present in Panama next month.”

October 10, 2023

Tag: COP10