| | This year’s theme is ‘Prohibition and public health’; the event will examine the deep structural contradiction emerging between science and global public health policy. |
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Cigarettes are almost universally and legally available despite the tobacco-related devastation they cause to public health. Meanwhile, far lower-risk nicotine products – nicotine vapes, pouches, heated tobacco products and Swedish-style snus – face blanket or partial bans in a growing number of countries. |
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Regulation, not prohibition |
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Progressive and effective regulatory frameworks seek to balance the concern over prevention of youth uptake with the huge opportunity to reduce the global burden of smoking-related death and disease - yet prohibitive or restrictive policies are endorsed by influential global institutions such as the World Health Organization, under the guise of ‘protecting’ public health. |
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This contradicts years of large-scale epidemiological evidence demonstrating that safer nicotine products reduce smoking rates. In countries where safer products are accessible and affordable, such as Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Japan, cigarette sales have declined much more rapidly, as millions switch away from smoking to safer options. |
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Seemingly, as the science-base in support of tobacco harm reduction’s role in public health strengthens, the opposition to safer nicotine products intensifies. |
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GFN26 will critically examine the ways in which prohibition is jeopardising public health goals by entrenching cigarette use, fuelling illicit tobacco and nicotine markets and undermining global efforts to reduce smoking-related disease. |
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The programme at GFN26 will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive workshops, alongside the return of the popular GFN ScienceLab. |
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Panels and keynotes will address: The health, wellbeing and ethical implications of prohibition; The economic impact of prohibition; The unintended consequences of prohibition on illicit markets and organised crime.
Speakers and delegates will debate how best to promote evidence-based policy in an environment where harm reduction is frequently portrayed as industry-driven or inherently suspect. By fostering dialogue across sectors, GFN26 aims to advance practical solutions to reduce smoking-related harm. |
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Jessica Harding, Conference Director, GFN26, said: “Prohibition is increasing at a time when innovation offers unprecedented opportunities to accelerate the end of smoking. Nicotine consumers are paying the price. Unable to access regulated products, millions are forced to choose: either risk using unregulated or illicit nicotine products or return to deadly tobacco. When cigarettes remain on sale everywhere and safer alternatives are banned or heavily restricted, who is really being protected?” |
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An inclusive global platform |
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Established in 2014, the Global Forum on Nicotine is the only international conference dedicated to the role of safer nicotine products in helping people move away from smoking. |
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Its open-door, multi-stakeholder approach is unique, welcoming consumers who have switched from smoking, public health professionals, researchers, policymakers, regulators, parliamentarians, manufacturers and media representatives. Many of these groups are either excluded or siloed in other international forums. |
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Selected sessions will be streamed live free of charge and simultaneously translated into Spanish and Russian, and the conference’s broadcast arm, GFN•TV, will provide live commentary. |
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Opportunities for community participation also includes the GFN Fives – short, five-minute video contributions published online – and the return of GFN ScienceLab, where researchers present emerging findings to an international audience. |
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GFN26 is open to everyone with an interest in the future of tobacco and nicotine policy – join the event and make your voice heard. |
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