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WASHINGTON, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) marks the 20th anniversary of its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), what should have been a moment of celebration has instead become a focal point for sharp criticism from global health experts, consumer advocates, and harm reduction proponents. Rather than highlighting progress, a panel hosted by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) used the occasion to reflect on what they called decades of stagnation, missed opportunities, and dangerous resistance to innovation in the field of tobacco harm reduction.
"The FCTC should have marked a turning point in global tobacco control," said Clive Bates, former director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK). "Instead, the WHO remains entrenched in outdated, prohibition-style thinking. They actively oppose safer alternatives like vaping, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches—tools that are demonstrably helping people quit smoking."
Despite the treaty's intent to reduce smoking-related harm, more than one billion people around the world still smoke, and over eight million continue to die annually from tobacco-related illnesses. Panelists argued that the WHO's refusal to embrace harm reduction approaches is not just short-sighted but scientifically indefensible. Many urged countries participating in the treaty to reconsider their blind alignment with WHO policy and instead focus on pragmatic, evidence-based strategies that prioritize public health outcomes.
Roger Bate, a global health policy expert at the International Center for Law and Economics, went further in questioning the institution's credibility. "Whether it's COVID-19 or tobacco policy, the WHO has failed repeatedly," he said. "We need fundamental reform. If the organization cannot evolve to incorporate modern science and real-world solutions, then it risks becoming obsolete."
David Williams, president of TPA, echoed this sentiment, calling the WHO's current approach "dangerous and irresponsible." He cited the organization's refusal to recognize smoke-free alternatives, even as mounting research shows their effectiveness in reducing harm. "E-cigarettes and nicotine pouches are saving lives," Williams said. "These are tools funded by taxpayers, yet the WHO continues to reject them without sound justification. That's not just bad policy—it's negligence."
Williams also promoted TPA's global campaign, Good COP/Bad COP, which launched during the 2024 FCTC COP10 meeting in Panama. A follow-up event is planned for 2025 in Geneva, aimed at holding the WHO accountable. "We're building a coalition of doctors, consumers, and advocates who want the WHO to work for the people, not against them," he said.
Martin Cullip, international fellow at TPA's Consumer Center, summed up the panel's frustration. "The FCTC was a good idea that has gone terribly wrong. We've lost 20 years of potential progress because of rigid ideology."
The panel urged WHO leaders to abandon a dogmatic stance and embrace harm reduction as a key component of tobacco control moving forward. As Clive Bates concluded, "The WHO has become unethical, unaccountable, and ineffective. If they truly care about saving lives, they must stop ignoring the science. Harm reduction has to be part of the solution."
To request interviews with a harm reduction expert, contact Kara Zupkus at [email protected].
