On October 18, 100 tobacco control experts called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to accept the reality of safer nicotine alternatives.
The letter, which harshly criticizes the WHO for its hostile stance against tobacco harm reduction (THR), arrives ahead of a gathering of the 182 countries that belong to the health agency’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP), happens every two years. In 2021, it’ll be held in early November—and discussions of THR are not explicitly on the agenda.
“There are many experts who feel strongly about these issues and believe in sound science and good policy,” said Clive Bates, the former director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), who published the letter on his blog.
Alex Norcia – Filter – 2021-10-18.