Experts, consumer advocates and regulators at the "Good COP 2.0" conference warned that rigid, billionaire-driven prohibition policies against tobacco harm reduction (THR) are failing public health, fueling black markets and disproportionately harming low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The "Good COP 2.0" conference, organized by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) in counterpoint to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11), highlighted a rising tide of resistance to the WHO’s ban-heavy approach across Asia, Africa and Latin America. 

The TPA is organizing the rapid response and fact-checking conference in Geneva while the WHO FCTC meets for its biennial Conference of the Parties.

Speakers at Good COP 2.0 claimed the WHO’s continued resistance to THR is failing public health, particularly in nations with limited health care infrastructure.

"Technology is moving very quickly, and regulators are struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation," said Prof. Tikki Pangestu, a visiting professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore.

"We must reclaim the integrity of the evidence, and the evidence for harm reduction is far more rigorous than the ‘science’ supporting prohibition," said Nancy Loucas, executive-coordinator at Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

Dr. Mark Tyndall, a professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia, warned that "we are at the cusp of handing the entire market over to illegal operations."

The TPA's event focused on the Asia-Pacific region, revealing new research that exposes inconsistencies between WHO policy recommendations and real-world data. Speakers slammed so-called "philanthro-colonialism," examining how wealthy institutions and funders shape tobacco control in ways that often harm LMICs.

Martin Cullip, international fellow for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, noted that skeptical countries are pushing back against WHO proposals. "Countries have made clear at COP11 that they have legitimate concerns about prohibition," Cullip said.

Experts in the Asia Pacific stressed that demand for safer alternatives is growing rapidly, despite mounting restrictions on consumer advocacy. 

David Williams, a harm reduction specialist, said innovations should be part of the equation. “Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have smartphones, but we do now. Why not use the same sort of innovation in this space?” Williams said.

Clarisse Yvette Virgino, a consumer advocate, noted that the Philippines remains a high priority for billionaire-funded influence, which has been "bad news for vaping manufacturers and consumers across the country."

Professor Sharifa Puteh, a public health expert in Malaysia, cited the need for alternatives to cigarettes, saying, that "if anyone can come up with new, innovative alternatives that help people quit smoking, go ahead. But so far, the best options we have are the ones that governments are trying to ban."

In Africa, public health commentator Gabriel Oke said African nations should be part of the discussion. "We have a large percentage of people who smoke in Africa, and it is really important that we are part of the discussion and decision-making," Oke said.

The conference also noted that New Zealand, despite having one of the world's lowest smoking rates, received a symbolic "Dirty Ashtray Award" from the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control at COP11 for openly promoting harm reduction. This was cited as an example of the "demonization of harm reduction."

Bengt Wiberg, a harm reduction activist, pointed to data from Sweden, where the rise of snus and nicotine pouches was accompanied by a drop in smoking rates. "Swedish government data show that smoking among 16 to 29-year-olds has dropped 72 percent in the last 10 years. And in a comically close correlation, use of snus and nicotine pouches have risen by 72 percent," he said.

Sairah Salim Sartoni, a health psychologist, said "people have the right to vape, come off vaping and go to pouches.” “Whatever they want to do, they should have the access," Sartoni said.