Good COP 2.0 – Daily Download: Thursday, November 20

Overview

Day 4 of Good COP 2.0 brought global power dynamics to the forefront. From plenary highlights to an enlightening discussion on “philanthro-colonialism,” experts examined how wealthy institutions and funders shape tobacco control in ways that often harm low- and middle-income countries. Speakers emphasized that while COP11 continues behind closed doors, the lived experiences of consumers and the evidence presented by researchers worldwide tell a very different story than the one pedaled by bureaucrats.

Panelists from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas underscored the growing backlash against prohibitionist policies. The experts offered stark reminders of how global influence campaigns can distort national debates. The day ended with a look across the Americas, highlighting intensifying conflicts over regulation, black markets, and consumer rights.

What the Experts Are Saying:

Morning Sessions:

Regulator Watch & Opening Remarks (David Williams, Martin Cullip, Nancy Loucas, Prof. Tikki Pangestu, Dr. Rohan Sequeira, Dr. Sharifa Ezat)

“Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have smartphones, but we do now. Why not use the same sort of innovation in this space? – David Williams

“Countries have made clear at COP11 that they have legitimate concerns about prohibition. But Bloomberg-funded organizations such as Action on Smoking and Health are falsely claiming that skeptical countries are ‘misinterpreting’ COP proposals.” – Martin Cullip

“When Article 5.3 was written, it wasn’t meant to exclude. It was meant to counter undue influence. But the WHO doesn’t want member nations talking to anybody. They want opposing voices to be completely excluded.”  – Nancy Loucas

“There is a spectrum of harm with anything. If you drink twenty cups of coffee a day, I’m sure there would be some consequence to your health. Yet this logic is completely thrown out for tobacco harm reduction.” – Tikki Pangestu

Highlights from the Opening Plenary Statements (Jeannie Cameron, Nancy Loucas, Dr. Marina Murphy, Reem Ibrahim) 

“North Macedonia, Serbia, and Tajikistan have been strong, commendable voices for harm reduction at COP11.” – Jeannie Cameron

“Gambia rightly mentioned how it would be neither fair nor equitable for developing countries to have to enforce the same restrictions found in more developed jurisdictions.” – Marina Murphy

“Should it be novel to have evidence-based healthcare policies? I don’t think so! Yet there is this absurd approach of ‘if we can ban something, let’s ban it.’”- Reem Ibrahim

Panel Discussion: Philanthro-Colonialism: Do Rich Billionaires Mistreat Low- and Middle-Income Countries? (Jeffrey Zamora, Gabriel Oke, Clarisse Virgino, Sairah Salim Sartoni)

“We need to be able to help people partake in any form of cessation—any alternative—for combustible tobacco products. People have the right to vape, come off vaping and go to pouches; whatever they want to do, they should have the access.” – Sairah Salim Sartoni

“The Philippines is high on Bloomberg’s priority list, and his influence has been bad news for vaping manufacturers and consumers across the country.” – Clarisse Virgino

Afternoon Panels:

Panel Discussion: “Where’s the Parade?” – Why do Anti-Smoking Groups Oppose Harm Reduction? (Reem Ibrahim, Kurt Yeo, Jeff Smith, Bengt Wiberg)

“If our youth in the U.S. were their own country, we would say that country is smoke-free. That should be extraordinarily exciting for the public health community.” –  Jeff Smith

“We don’t even know how many people in South Africa are dying from smoking-related diseases. Instead, bureaucrats are obsessed with the tiny part of the youth population using e-cigarettes.” – Kurt Yeo

“Swedish government data shows that smoking among 16–29-year-olds has dropped 72 percent in the last ten years. And in a comically close correlation, use of snus and nicotine pouches have risen by 72 percent!” – Bengt Wiberg

“Ideally, people under 18 should not be using these products, and I would not want my children to partake. But if we expect that teenagers do experiment with those products, is it not a moral good that those products are healthier for them than smoking?” – Reem Ibrahim

Panel Discussion: THR in the Americas: Fury, Failure and the FDA (Jacob Grier, Jeff Smith, Dr. Mark Tyndall, Juan Jose Cirion)

“If you haven’t heard, the U.S. has a new president. The new head of the FDA Marty Makary has not spoken much about harm reduction, and there’s not much indication things will change one way or the other.” – Jeff Smith

“More than 99 percent of harm reduction products have either been denied by the FDA or are sitting in limbo. If, as a professor, more than 99 percent of my students failed, I would ask what I was doing wrong.” – Jeff Smith

“There were more than 2.5 million perfectly reasonable THR product applications submitted to the FDA, and the number approved can only be counted in the dozens.” – Jacob Grier

“We can talk all day about regulatory processes, but consumers will ultimately do what they want to do. We are at the cusp of handing the entire market over to illegal operations.” – Mark Tyndall

“The Mexican government is continuing bans on everything right now. The new president is basically the same as the old one and answers to no one. The government is faking information, and there is no accountability.” – Juan Jose Cirion

Dispatches from COP11

Yesterday, Tobacco Reporter reported, “New Zealand was given a ‘Dirty Ashtray Award’ by the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC) at the World Health Organization’s FCTC COP11. The ‘award’ is a symbolic dishonor given to countries or delegations that ‘are seen as obstructing progress on tobacco control or aligning too closely with tobacco industry interests.’ Even though New Zealand has one of the world’s lowest smoking rates and some of the strictest tobacco controls, Copwatch correctly predicted it would receive slight because the nation openly promotes harm reduction.”

Unfortunately, this demonization of harm reduction is par for the course at COP11. Hopefully, delegations continue to speak out against prohibition and nonsensical restrictions.

Key Takeaways

• Countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are increasingly rejecting billionaire-driven prohibitionary paradigms.
• Public health experts warned that anti-THR policies are fueling black markets and criminal activity.
• Evidence offered by the experts continues to contradict narratives advanced by regulatory bodies such as the FDA.

Looking Ahead: Friday Preview

Tomorrow marks the final day of Good COP 2.0, featuring panels on fundamentalism in tobacco control, the importance of consumer voices, and a global look at how nicotine should ideally be regulated. Day 5 will conclude with an open discussion and a closing summary from leading experts.

Media

Stream the conference LIVE here. All media queries should be sent to Kara@protectingtaxpayers.org

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is organizing a rapid response and fact checking conference in Geneva, Switzerland as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meets for their biennial Conference of the Parties (Bad COP) to discuss tobacco-related issues. TPA’s event “Conference of the People (Good COP)” brings in experts and consumers, often ignored by WHO, to be heard during the discussion of tobacco and tobacco harm reduction. The Conference of the People (Good COP) is a launch vehicle for a broader coalition of taxpayer, free market, and harm reduction organizations to counter the message from the FCTC Secretariat and specifically address issues brought forth at COP. Currently, there is no cohesive, organized message to balance the misinformation stemming from the WHO and institutions under the auspices of the FCTC.