The upcoming Conference of Parties (COP10), to be held in Panama from November 20 to 25, 2023, is an opportunity for the Tobacco industry to learn from each other on how best to implement Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) efforts and lobby for the adoption of novel nicotine products, industry experts have said.

Speaking during a Fireside Chat at the recent Global Nicotine and Tobacco Forum (GNTF) in South Korea, Flora Okereke, BAT's Head of Regulatory Insights and Foresights said the upcoming COP10 was different and provides fertile ground for discussions around THR and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

“This time around, I truly believe that there could be an opportunity. It appears that what the industry wants and what the Public Health wants, which is getting people off cigarettes, seems to be the same. For the first time, it appears, there is a destination that is common to both. You should note that there is a small provision in the FCTC that mentions Tobacco Harm Reduction,” said Okereke.

She added that the presence of such a provision means there is the possibility for member states to explore alternative ways to reduce smoking for those who cannot or will not quit. Whilst the FCTC provision has never been discussed at a COP, Okereke argued that the conditions were now right, with consumers happy to use alternatives to cigarettes and there is an array of examples of countries with successful harm reduction strategies.

“That particular provision seems to suggest that apart from the demand side and handling the supply side, it is possible for countries to explore other alternatives of reducing smoking in the direction of Tobacco Harm Reduction. That provision has never once been elaborated on or talked about in COP.   At this stage, when we now have an array of reduced risk products substantiated by science, it is a good time to start the conversation.”

Okereke however said the current WHO position on reduced harm products was a bit skeptical of the role of these products in cessation. She said the WHO was more concerned about youth access; non-smokers using them; and wider nicotine dependency and addiction. As a result, the WHO has maintained its position to treat reduced risk products in the same way as tobacco, especially from a regulatory perspective.

Since decision making power, by consensus without objection, rests with the member states, Okereke urged the delegates to use this power to push for positive decisions on harm reduction and to call for an independent evaluation of the role reduced risk products can play in cessation and reduced health risk.

She outlined that the best way to advocate for the industry’s science-led position was to influence and inform lawmakers and delegates so they can make a balanced judgment. Since harm reduction is a technology, science, and innovation issue, she argued, those actors responsible for these areas ought to have a say at COP10 and beyond.

Meanwhile, Derek Yach, said bringing physicians and the public health industry to the table was a step in the right direction towards clearing misinformation and misconceptions around nicotine products.

“The two biggest impediments of harm reduction progress today are the growth of disinformation that is particularly driving physicians away from the category and leaving them with an incorrect view of the harms of nicotine. This together with a serious misinterpretation of Article 5.3 by members’ states causing players to believe that it means ‘no engagement’, and without addressing the disinformation, progress will continue to be slow when it could actually be accelerated if the article was removed,” said Yach.

He also called on governments with successful harm reduction approaches, such as the UK, US, Japan, and Sweden, to proudly report the progress they have made, as they would do at COP27 and COP28 regarding climate change. Yach further proposed some key approaches that he believes the industry should take together which include tackling youth access to tobacco and nicotine by committing to eliminating it as well as consider historic examples of when the private sector successfully cooperated with the WHO.

Yach gave the example of Merck which pledged to eliminate river blindness through the supply of certain drugs - he suggested that the tobacco industry should pledge to harness the use of nicotine pouches and snus to eliminate oral cancer in South Asia as this would act as a surprisingly bold move and would be welcomed by the international community.