The ‘Other' COP: COP11 and The Future of Nicotine Products

• In Geneva, COP11 is reviewing global tobacco control
• Illicit nicotine products and environmental harm are being discussed
• Decisions made there could impact vaping and nicotine pouches
• Certain voices have been excluded, including harm reduction advocates
• Demonstrations have been held in Geneva in protest
• Advocates are demanding transparency and open dialogue

At the moment, the media is full of stories about COP30 meeting on climate change taking place in Brazil.

But did you know there is another ‘COP’ taking place this week that impacts nicotine users?

This is COP11, or to give it its full title, the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

This COP takes place this week, 17–22 November, in Geneva, with representatives from over 162 countries, including the UK. All these countries have signed up to the FCTC come together to review the Convention and set priorities for the future.

 Some of the big issues being discussed this week include:

• Youth nicotine addiction
• The environmental harm of tobacco production
• The illicit trade of nicotine products

For those in the UK who enjoy a nicotine pouch or vape, it would be worth paying some attention to what goes on at the ‘other’ COP.

The decisions taken there can have big implications on the future of alternative nicotine products.

However, the process by which these decisions are taken is notoriously opaque, and even participation at the meeting is restricted to a narrow segment of stakeholders.

For example, representatives from alternative nicotine product users or harm reduction advocates are not welcome.

Probably the most concerning aspect of the ‘other’ COP is their perspective on alternative nicotine products.

 They seem unwilling to recognise that these products are a legitimate part of harm reduction strategy. Instead, they are lumped in with cigarettes and other tobacco products as something that COP believes should be regulated out of existence.

This makes good faith debate about future regulation and harm reduction policy very difficult.

Advocates for alternative nicotine products are dismissed as mouthpieces for ‘big tobacco’, and evidence of the effectiveness of alternative products in harm reduction seems to be ignored.

Instead of facilitating open dialogue, the COP process allows the ideology of a relatively small group of people to shape the regulation of alternative nicotine products.

Transparency is also a challenge.

Many people are not even aware of what position their own government will take at COP.

For example, it was only due to a last gasp push back by a bloc of EU member states that prevented the European Commission from proposing a European position that included a total ban on nicotine pouches.

In protest at the lack of engagement and transparency, and the refusal to acknowledge the role that alternative products can play in harm reduction strategies, a number of consumer associations and harm reduction advocates have staged demonstrations at COP in Geneva.

We must wait to see what positions on alternative nicotine products will emerge from this COP, but there is good reason to start preparing for now for the COP12.

Why not convene an expert group review on alternative nicotine products and tobacco harm reduction? Include a broad range of expertise and perspectives and commission a genuine expert review and, at the next COP, facilitate open and transparent dialogue and data sharing.

Harm reduction is too important a topic for global public health to have its future decided by small groups of insiders.

Haypp Group is doing its part to represent the voice of UK consumers in Geneva.

You can see Haypp’s Senior Director of Scientific Affairs, Dr. Marina Murphy, discuss COP11 on the Regulator Watch podcast. Marina’s interview begins just after the 47 mins.