After 20 Years of Its Tobacco Treaty, the WHO Has Little to Celebrate
March 24, 2025 by filtermag.org
After 20 Years of Its Tobacco Treaty, the WHO Has Little to Celebrate
The World Health Organization commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the global health treaty with 182 member countries. Despite high ambitions, the FCTC has not significantly reduced smoking rates worldwide. The WHO's focus on nicotine, rather than harm reduction, has hindered progress, leading to secrecy in decision-making and the exclusion of alternative voices. The treaty rejects innovative harm reduction strategies like non-combustible nicotine products, despite evidence of their benefits. The WHO's anti-vaping stance, based on outdated views, has deprived millions of smokers of safer alternatives. A modernized approach, embracing harm reduction, is needed for effective global tobacco control.
