Public health and consumer advocates have urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to rethink its tobacco control strategy, warning that two decades of efforts have failed to significantly cut global smoking rates.
Speaking at the 2025 Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) in Poland, panelists said the WHO’s prohibition-driven stance is out of step with harm reduction practices. They said these practices could help over a billion smokers quit or switch to less harmful products like heated tobacco, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
A session titled “Reflections on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control at 20” evaluated the WHO’s flagship treaty. Panelists called for a reframing of global tobacco policy to focus on science, equity, and human rights, prioritizing harm reduction and consumer choice.
“The elephant in the room is the WHO,” said Professor Tikki Pangestu, a former WHO Director of Research Policy & Cooperation.
He said the WHO’s position makes it difficult for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to pursue independent policymaking.
Asa Saligupta, director of ENDS Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST), criticized Bloomberg Philanthropies and some NGOs for promoting what he called restrictive, ideology-driven policies. “They’re ignoring science and pushing prohibition,” he said, noting that bans on vaping in countries like Thailand are blocking safer alternatives.
In the Philippines, Dr. Lorenzo Mata Jr., president of the advocacy group Quit for Good, said the WHO has “fallen short of its target and failed to help more than a billion smokers globally.”
“Because of its prohibitionist ideology, the WHO has only alienated smokers and nicotine consumers,” Mata said, urging the agency to adopt a more compassionate approach.
Other panelists included Dr. Derek Yach, a former WHO cabinet director who helped create the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), French oncologist Professor David Khayat, and consultant Jeannine Cameron.
Yach highlighted the FCTC’s historical value but lamented its patchy implementation. Khayat called for a more compassionate, education-driven approach, while Cameron said national governments, not international agencies, ultimately drive progress.
