WHO urges global ban on e-cigarettes, new tobacco products
The plea comes in the run-up to the 10th Conference of Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, set to take place in Panama.
The National Institutes of Health defined e-cigarettes as battery-powered devices that heat liquid into a vapor for inhalation. The WHO’s global tobacco treaty, considered an evidence-based accord, states the fundamental right of all individuals to the highest standard of health.
Sabina Jacazzi, the Treaty Officer for Legal Affairs at WHO FCTC, clarified during the briefing that the novel and emerging products from the tobacco industry fall under the category of tobacco products.
She highlighted the COP’s previous decisions on heated tobacco products and Electronic Nicotine and Non-nicotine delivery systems, underscoring their inclusion under the WHO FCTC regulations.
“In relation to the latest scientific evidence and policy recommendations on these products, I very much encourage checking the reports (by WHO and the Convention Secretariat) that will be considered at COP10, available online,” explained Jacazzi.
The event featured global experts, including Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa. Oluwafemi noted a global decline in smoking based on the latest data but expressed concern over the tobacco industry’s adoption of new tactics to deceive government officials and mislead the public.
