WHO's neglect of vapes raises concerns as tobacco industry calls for greater attention

According to a February 16 report by The Grocer, e-cigarettes have helped many people quit smoking, but at the upcoming 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the positive value of these so-called “tobacco harm reduction devices” may not receive much attention.

The FCTC aims to reduce tobacco consumption and related harm worldwide, but e-cigarettes, snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products are not being regarded as tools to achieve that goal. Analysis suggests that these safer nicotine products are being viewed as a threat to tobacco control.

This has raised concerns within the tobacco industry, which believes the FCTC could become an agreement aimed at restricting nicotine rather than just tobacco, imposing the same strict regulation on products like e-cigarettes as on cigarettes.

The vaping industry emphasizes that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking. UK data show that e-cigarettes have helped 2.4 million people in Britain successfully stop smoking. However, there is also the issue of youth misuse of e-cigarettes, with the number of young users now exceeding the number of young smokers.

Experts say that for products whose effects are not yet fully clear, the FCTC’s cautious and unsupportive stance may be the safer choice, though it may not be the most practical one. Industry participants and experts hope the FCTC will take all factors into account and find the right solution.