The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) warns that the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) risks undermining its own mandate by excluding harm reduction as part of its tobacco control strategy ahead of the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP).

CAPHRA said that the FCTC has deviated from its founding definition of tobacco control, which explicitly includes harm reduction alongside supply and demand measures under Article 1(d) of the treaty.

Tobacco harm reduction is a public health strategy that aims to reduce the harm caused by cigarettes through the promotion of alternatives that do not burn and produce smoke, like e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches.

Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA Executive Coordinator, said, “The FCTC cannot ignore its own definition of tobacco control. Harm reduction is not an industry ploy, it is a proven, life-saving strategy. By dismissing it, the COP risks undermining global progress and betraying the very people it is meant to protect.”

Countries that have embraced harm reduction, such as Sweden, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have reported record declines in smoking rates. Sweden is on the verge of becoming the first “smoke-free” nation in Europe, largely due to the use of snus and alternative smoke-free products.

With Asia accounting for more than half of the world’s smokers, CAPHRA warns that the exclusion of harm reduction at the global policy level could have dire consequences for the region as WHO guidance that fails to recognize harm reduction could discourage balanced, science-driven policymaking.

To align practice with principle, CAPHRA is calling for the reaffirmation of harm reduction as integral to tobacco control by explicitly referencing Article 1(d) in the final decision text under Article 2.1. CAPHRA is also recommending the establishment of a Party-Led Working Group which would allow Parties to the FCTC to examine global evidence and national experiences with novel nicotine products, including how different regulatory models impact smoking prevalence, youth protection, and broader health outcomes. Lastly, CAPHRA is calling for transparent reporting on national harm reduction initiatives that would ensure that best practices are shared and would contribute to more effective global tobacco policy.

CAPHRA said that FCTC’s long-term success depends on embracing innovation rather than suppressing it and applying its principles consistently. “If the FCTC continues to ignore harm reduction, it will lose relevance and effectiveness,” Loucas warned. “Millions of lives depend on getting this right,” she said.