Hello and welcome to the latest Global Forum on Nicotine newsletter - with just six weeks to go to GFN26 we can almost smell the buffet breakfast at The Warsaw Presidential Hotel. The event will be taking place from 3-5 June 2026, so be sure to complete your registration if you haven’t already done so.

Events spanning the Friday at GFN26 will be focussing on the economic impacts of banning access to reduced harm nicotine products. Our third panel, titled ‘The Real Costs of Prohibition’, will tackle the subject of economic impacts head on. The discussion will be hosted by renown harm reduction expert Clive Bates.

Clive has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Starting out with IBM, he then switched career to work in the environment movement. From 1997-2003 he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco.

In 2003, Clive joined Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and worked in senior roles in the public sector and for the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of The Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focussed on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.

Speaking on ‘The Real Costs of Prohibition’, Clive told us: “With a high level of audience participation, the panel will discuss the various forms of prohibition, examine the main objections to prohibition, and ask under what circumstances, if any, prohibitions are justified.

“We consider the likely consequences of prohibition, especially in the counterintuitive case where the prohibition applies to safer products than the market norm.

“We will consider the merits of two common strategies for addressing the costs and consequences of prohibition: a stronger enforcement approach or removing the underlying economic incentives.

“The session will conclude with an engaging finale, in which the panel and audience are asked to provide unwanted advice to the Australian government, Mr Michael Bloomberg and the World Health Organisation.”

Joining Clive as panellists:

Zara Snapp

Zara is the director of Instituto RIA, a Mexican organization dedicated to research, advocacy, and harm reduction interventions within a framework of social justice and peacebuilding.

Over the past decade, she has been deeply involved in Mexico's legislative and judicial drug policy reform, winning the fourth Supreme Court case to allow for the self-cultivation of cannabis. Zara actively participates at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. From 2014 to 2017, she led the Latin American strategy for the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Zara holds a master’s in public policy from Harvard University, where she was awarded a full scholarship, and a political science degree from the University of Colorado. She is the author of the book ‘Dictionary of Drugs’, and numerous other chapters and articles.

Zara was born and lives in Coatepec, Veracruz, with her family where she enjoys riding bikes, reading books and dance parties.

Rohan Pike

Rohan draws on 25 years of national and international investigations expertise with the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force to advise businesses and governments how best to identify, prevent and respond to the growing threat of illicit trade.

His enforcement career included a three-year placement in Pakistan and several successful, high-profile cases in fraud, foreign bribery, corruption, terrorism and money laundering.

While at the Australian Border Force, Rohan founded the Tobacco Strike Team, Australia’s first dedicated illicit tobacco unit. That experience laid the foundations for his current national and international consultancy where Rohan leverages Australia’s tobacco policy mistakes to help governments avoid the same adverse consequences.

Joe Thompson

Joe is Group Science & Regulatory Affairs Director at Imperial Brands. He is responsible for the science that substantiates Imperial Brands' next generation products as potentially reduced harm relative to continued smoking, the stewardship of Imperial's products, and engaging on the science.

Joe leads a large multi-disciplined specialist team responsible for product safety assessments, compliance with technical regulation, obtaining regulatory approval of products and a laboratory network spread over several countries. He has 23 years' experience in the science of nicotine containing products.

Joe is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) with degrees in Toxicology (MSc) and Physiology (BSc).

Dr Christopher Snowdon

Dr Snowdon is the head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). He is a regular contributor to the Spectator, The Critic and Spiked, and is the author of ‘Polemics’ (2020), ‘Killjoys’ (2017), ‘Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism’ (2015), ‘The Art of Suppression' (2011), ‘The Spirit Level Delusion’ (2010) and ‘Velvet Glove, Iron Fist’ (2009). He is the editor of the Nanny State Index and the author of more than twenty reports for the IEA.

Introducing our GFN26 media partner TobaccoIntelligence:

We are thrilled to announce that TobaccoIntelligence will be joining us again as a media partner for GFN26.

Providing impartial, independent and premium market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the nicotine and tobacco alternatives sector worldwide, TobaccoIntelligence is a true leader in the world of market information.

TobaccoIntelligence says: “We offer a one-stop source of market and regulatory strategic data for the tobacco and nicotine alternatives business, including heated tobacco and reduced-risk oral products.

“Providing all the data in one online platform reduces the amount of time and money spent monitoring the sector for multiple international markets. Our global perspective on the international tobacco and nicotine sector offers you key data such as market trends, key players, regulatory obligations and industry dynamics.

“Produced by a group of highly experienced specialist lawyers, economists and journalists, our head office is in Barcelona, Spain, and we also have teams in the UK and USA along with correspondents and contributors from around the world. In addition, we offer customised research and consultancy support.”

GFN26 takes place at The Warsaw Presidential Hotel (former Warsaw Marriott Hotel), al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, 00-697 Warszawa, Poland.

A special GFN26 rate is available, enabling you to be close to the conference action and facilitate networking – but only if you book before the deadline of May 4, 2026.

The special GFN rate applies for bookings of any duration between the dates of Monday, June 1 and Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Until our next newsletter, have a wonderful week,

The GFN26 team.