The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a call to action urging member nations to either ban or regulate the use of e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco industry products, citing a critical need to safeguard public health. This plea was made during a virtual media briefing by the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals on the global tobacco treaty.
E-cigarettes, identified as battery-powered devices that heat liquid into inhalable vapor, have drawn concern from the National Institutes of Health. According to the WHO, its global tobacco treaty upholds the fundamental right of all individuals to the highest standard of health and is rooted in verifiable evidence.
Sabina Jacazzi, the Treaty Officer for Legal Affairs at WHO FCTC, emphasized that the tobacco industry’s innovative products, including heated tobacco items and Electronic Nicotine and Non-nicotine delivery systems, are categorized as tobacco products under the law. The upcoming 10th Conference of Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Panama aims to address these concerns and adopt decisions regarding novel and emerging tobacco products.
Jacazzi urged stakeholders to review the latest scientific evidence and policy recommendations on these products, emphasizing the reports from WHO and the Convention Secretariat that will be considered at COP10, which will be readily available online.
During the international briefing, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, shed light on global smoking trends, revealing a decline in smoking rates. However, Oluwafemi cautioned that the tobacco industry is resorting to new stratagems to deceive government authorities and entice the public, marking the urgent need for stringent measures to curb the proliferation of e-cigarettes and emerging tobacco products.
In line with these developments, the global stance on e-cigarettes and related products is poised for a significant shift as the world prepares to convene and deliberate at the 10th COP. The WHO’s resolute call to action resonates with the mounting urgency to address the emerging challenges posed by the tobacco industry, ensuring the protection of public health worldwide.
