The Asia-Pacific Nicotine Consumer Advocacy Coalition (CAPHRA) is calling on the New Zealand government delegation to support safer nicotine products at the WHO meeting, rather than seeing them as a threat to tobacco control.
As reported by Scoop Media on October 16, the Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Protection of Nicotine Consumer Rights (CAPHRA) has issued a warning to the New Zealand government delegation heading to the 10th Meeting of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC COP10).
“Government officials need to be aware that their support for the FCTC COP10 resolution could negatively impact the future of safer nicotine products.” Said Nancy Loucas, a passionate advocate for nicotine harm reduction, public health policy expert and executive coordinator of CAPHRA.
“GSTHR’s analysis confirmed the importance of these decisions for the future of these products, but they were ignored during the meeting,” Ms. Lucas said. The public briefing, titled “The FCTC COP10 Agenda and Accompanying Documents: Implications for the Future of Tobacco Harm Reduction,” reveals that safer nicotine products are viewed as a threat to tobacco control, rather than as a tool to support cessation and reduce high-risk tobacco use.
“Safer nicotine products have the potential to be a game changer in the fight against tobacco-related harm,” said Ms Lucas. “However, the current narrative of FCTC COP10 does not reflect this possibility. Instead, they are seen as a threat, which can have serious implications for public health.”
CAPHRA urges governments and policymakers to consider the evidence presented in this brief and recognize the potential of safer nicotine products as a tool for harm reduction. “The decisions taken at FCTC COP10 will shape the future of tobacco harm reduction,” Ms Lucas added. “We urge all stakeholders to consider the evidence and make decisions that prioritise public health and harm reduction – consumers’ lives are at stake.”