As the World Health Organization (WHO) marked the 37th annual World No Tobacco Day on May 31st, the global spotlight was once again on the tobacco industry’s influence over youth. This year’s campaign, under the banner of protecting young people, underscored the WHO’s continued focus on shielding the next generation from tobacco addiction. While youth protection is undeniably important, critics argue that this singular focus comes at the expense of the 1.3 billion adults who still smoke—and who deserve access to less harmful alternatives.
Protecting youth shouldn’t mean abandoning adults
The issue is not that youth protection is unworthy of attention, but rather that it has become the dominant lens through which all nicotine-related policy is evaluated. This has led to the marginalization of adult smokers who struggle to quit and might benefit from switching to reduced-risk products like e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco devices. These tools—designed in response to consumer demand (not industry manipulation as geenraly portrayed by anti-THR groups)—have shown promise in real-world contexts, even as global health authorities continue to deny their potential.
At the heart of the debate lies a growing disconnect between evidence and policy. WHO and its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), including decisions made during the recent COP10 summit, have largely ignored or outright dismissed tobacco harm reduction. Instead, the narrative continues to center on abstinence-only approaches. Even as countries like Sweden, Japan, and the UK report drops in smoking rates correlating with increased access to vaping, the WHO remains staunchly opposed to their use.
This institutional resistance is reflected in policies that increasingly restrict access to safer nicotine alternatives. Flavoured vapes are particularly targeted, often cited as a gateway for youth use. However, recent data indicates that youth vaping rates have actually significantly declined from their 2019 highs, especially in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. More importantly, research suggests that many teens who vape do so as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety, not because of appealing flavours alone. Yet health authorities remain focused on removing access to these products, rather than addressing these root causes fuelling their use.
Vaping, misinformation, and the global harm reduction divide
Global campaigns backed by powerful philanthropic organizations (enter Bloomberg Philantropies) have fueled a surge in anti-vaping sentiment. The result is a regulatory landscape that penalizes adult smokers seeking to quit, rather than supporting their journey away from combustible tobacco. The WHO continues to blantantly claim there is insufficient evidence to support e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, while calling for bans, flavour restrictions, and higher nicotine taxes. Such measures ignore the preferences and realities of adult consumers.
The ridiculousness of this situation reached a new peak earlier this year, when WHO Europe published—and then deleted—a tweet that appeared to suggest smoking might be safer than vaping. It was a stunning moment of contradiction for an organization that claims to lead the charge against disinformation. Vaping advocates quickly responded, pointing out that such rhetoric not only distorts public perception but could drive people back to smoking.
World Vape Day: a movement against misinformation
Misinformation about vaping has become a global issue, not confined to the WHO. Government agencies, advocacy groups, and media outlets regularly cite unverified or non-peer-reviewed studies, often using alarming headlines to sway public opinion. In 2024 alone, two unpublished studies falsely linking vaping to severe health risks, made the rounds on popular news sites. Such claims generate panic long before scientific scrutiny can catch up.
Classic myths, like the thoroughly debunked claim that vaping causes “popcorn lung,” continue to be regurgitated. Other recent fabrications allege that vapour contains toxic chemicals comparable to antifreeze or that vaping leads directly to cancer. These misrepresentations overshadow the growing body of evidence that shows vaping, while not risk-free, is significantly less harmful than smoking—and, crucially, an effective tool for many smokers to quit.
The consequences of misinformation are profound. Several countries have enacted bans or punitive regulations based on distorted science. In some instances, regulatory language conflates vaping with smoking, erasing the clear scientific distinction between combustion and vapourization. This confusion fuels stigma and undermines harm reduction efforts. Meanwhile, youth smoking rates—an important and often overlooked metric—continue to plummet, a public health victory rarely acknowledged in anti-vaping discourse.
From policy failure to firebombed stores
Another unintended consequence of harsh regulations is a resurgence in black market activity or even relapse into smoking. For example, Australia’s strict anti-vaping measures and soaring tobacco taxes have fueled a $5 billion illegal tobacco and vape market. Investigative reports reveal that criminal gangs now dominate this trade, using violence, arson, and threats, with nearly 200 stores being firebombed in under two years. While intended to reduce smoking, the policies have backfired, driving smokers to the black market. Consequently, government tobacco tax revenues are projected to fall from $16.8 billion in 2019 to $6.4 billion by 2028, exposing a costly policy failure.
But in the face of adversity, the global tobacco harm reduction community is not retreating—it is growing stronger. Grassroots advocates, many of them former smokers, are challenging the status quo. Their efforts are turning the tide in countries across the globe, and while incremental, these vicories are critical milestones. They affirm that when consumers speak out, armed with science, lived experience, and determination, policy can evolve. World Vape Day 2025 was not just a celebration of cessation. It was a declaration: that adult smokers matter, that harm reduction is a human right, and that truth must ultimately prevail over fear.
As the world prepares for COP11 and beyond, the message from the harm reduction community is clear: inclusion, compassion, and science must guide the future of tobacco control. It’s time to stop choosing between protecting youth and helping adults. We can, and must, do both.
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