Free For All: The Global Forum on Nicotine 2020 Moves Online

Given the current COVID-19 crises, the organizers of the annual event were forced to cancel the face-to-face GFN20 event in Warsaw, and are instead launching an online version, which will take place on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th June.

Diane Caruana

June 1, 2020

With less than two weeks to go, as usual multiple top speakers from the world of nicotine science, policy and tobacco harm reduction will be presenting on this year’s theme: Nicotine: science, ethics and human rights. It will be free of charge and open to all. Registrations are open.

The theme of last year’s GFN was “It’s time to talk about nicotine”, and its aim was to “examine how attitudes towards the use of nicotine are changing” and also explore “some of its more positive and potentially beneficial uses.”

The multiple challenges faced by the industry this year

This year, the vaping industry has been hit hard, first with the ‘EVALI’ crisis, followed by the review to the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD 2), the current COVID-19 lockdown and finally the upcoming ninth session of the (now postponed) World Health Organization’s COP9.

This year, the vaping industry has been hit hard, first with the so-called ‘EVALI’ crisis, followed by the review to the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD 2), the current COVID-19 lockdown and finally the upcoming ninth session of the (now postponed) World Health Organization’s Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP9) taking place in the Netherlands later this year.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic grips the world, debates over the impact of smoking and vaping on susceptibility to and severity of the disease, alongside research into nicotine’s potentially protective role, have only heightened focus on this field. Attacks on tobacco harm reduction are intensifying and, now more than ever, policy must be informed by well-formed evidence and led by science,” read a press release for the event.

“In light of all this, KAC Communications is excited to launch the online GFN20 on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 June, when presentations from 30 top expert speakers will premiere online on the theme Nicotine: science, ethics and human rights, before being made available for viewing at any time. Advances in nicotine science, the ethical arguments in favour of tobacco harm reduction, and the human rights issues for all those who advocate for the right to health will be explored. Anyone can take part in GFN20, for free, from anywhere in the world.”

The conference has always encouraged dialogue and freedom of speech

Co-director of the conference, Paddy Costall, pointed out that from its inception, the event has always been open to parties with varying interests, and freedom of expression and dialogue are greatly encouraged. “Since we started in 2014, GFN has always welcomed participants from a hugely diverse range of groups, professions and disciplines, something of which KAC Communications is rightly proud. Simply put, we believe in freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of speech.”

“In the last year, the intensity of attacks on pro-tobacco harm reduction researchers, academics and professionals across the world have increased significantly, with organisations discredited and ad hominem attacks launched on individuals for their beliefs or connections,” added Costall.

The main aim is tobacco harm reduction

He concluded that now more than ever, the conference welcomes anyone who has tobacco harm reduction at heart. “As always, and perhaps even more so in this critical year, GFN is open to everyone with an interest in nicotine science and policy. It is open to everyone who wants to reduce the toll of tobacco-related death and disease worldwide. And it is open to everyone who recognises that global tobacco control will fail without the strategic addition of tobacco harm reduction, in the form of widespread access to safer nicotine products. We look forward to welcoming you on the 11 and 12 June – and hope to see many of you in Warsaw, where we plan to meet again in June 2021.”

The GFN 2020 Programme highlights include:

Latest science on nicotine, smoking, vaping and COVID-19 from Konstantinos Farsalinos and Riccardo Polosa;
Perspectives on ethics and harm reduction from Clive Bates, Marewa Glover, Ethan Nadelmann, Fiona Patten, David Sweanor and Alex Wodak;
The Michael Russell Oration from Louise Ross;
Plus consumer viewpoints, what’s forthcoming in regulation, ensuring marginalised communities access tobacco harm reduction and much more.

The conference organisers, KAC Communications, would like to thank the #GFN20 speakers who have generously given their time to provide presentations with no reimbursement. The conference organisers will make no profit from this free event.