MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has strongly criticised the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Secretariat for spreading a counterproductive message in its recent “Myths vs Facts” campaign on X, which categorically dismisses tobacco harm reduction (THR) as industry propaganda.

The campaign, launched in early February, brands all non-traditional cessation tools — such as vapes, heated tobacco products, and oral nicotine — as “misinformation.” CAPHRA says this framing undermines public health innovation and ignores extensive real-world evidence and peer-reviewed data supporting safer nicotine alternatives.

FCTC’s Missed Targets Underscore Policy Failure

CAPHRA notes that the FCTC’s uncompromising stance comes despite its failure to meet its own 30% global tobacco use reduction target by 2025. Two decades after the treaty’s adoption by 182 countries, adult smoking prevalence still hovers at around 20%.

“By automatically dismissing every piece of evidence as ‘tobacco industry interference,’ the FCTC isolates itself from science,” CAPHRA said. “This political reflex perpetuates smoking-related harm, favouring illicit markets rather than public health.”

Evidence Shows Tobacco Harm Reduction Works

Independent research shows that regulated harm reduction strategies outperform prohibitionist approaches. Japan’s adoption of heated tobacco products saw over 70% of smokers switch by 2020, driving a 50% drop in adult smoking prevalence since 2003 — all without WHO-endorsed bans on novel alternatives.

New Zealand’s vaping-led smokefree strategy cut adult smoking below 7% by 2025, positioning it among the world’s fastest-declining tobacco markets.

Sweden’s oral nicotine model has helped achieve the world’s lowest lung cancer incidence (QS = 88 per 100,000), illustrating the tangible impact of safer nicotine use when properly regulated.

In the United Kingdom, 73% of the 15 million vapers are former smokers, a clear public health gain — yet still mischaracterised by the FCTC Secretariat as “industry promotion.”

Advocates Warn Against Ideological Rigidity

CAPHRA’s regional representatives argue that the FCTC’s communications perpetuate an outdated narrative instead of adapting to the realities of harm reduction.

“How can FCTC learn from reality when it dismisses every THR win as ‘industry talking points’?” asks Clarisse Virgino, CAPHRA’s Philippine representative. “Japan quit smoking en masse without FCTC ‘facts’ — through practical harm reduction. FCTC’s ad hominem attacks fail the world’s 1.3 billion smokers.”

“Evidence flows from users, clinicians, and real-world data, not just labs,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. “Stop silencing successes; study why New Zealand and Sweden lead while other FCTC parties stagnate. Prohibition drives illicit trade; educative regulation empowers quitting,” Loucas added.

Call for Evidence-Based Leadership

CAPHRA urges the FCTC Secretariat and Treaty Parties to engage transparently with emerging THR evidence ahead of upcoming Conferences of the Parties (COPs). Several member states have already called for more inclusive debates that consider consumer behaviour, scientific validation, and national case studies.

CAPHRA emphasises that banning consumer choices doesn’t remove demand it merely fuels illicit trade and blocks health gains.

Countries that have embraced regulated harm reduction — including the Philippines, which now recognises vaping and oral nicotine pouches within its public health framework — are reporting accelerated declines in smoking rates. These outcomes demonstrate that balanced regulation outperforms ideology.

Policy Imperative: Evolve or Risk Irrelevance

As governments struggle to meet 2025 smoking reduction goals, CAPHRA warns that the WHO FCTC risks becoming obsolete unless it evolves to reflect scientific and consumer realities.

CAPHRA concludes “The data are unambiguous. Where THR is embraced, smoking falls. Where innovation is banned, progress stalls. It’s time for the FCTC to move beyond denial and engage with the evidence that millions of ex-smokers are already proving works.”

For media inquiries:
NE Loucas, Executive Coordinator, CAPHRA
Email: neloucas@caphraorg.net