The state of Palau is asking the UN to classify nicotine as a controlled substance

Palau has asked the United Nations to include nicotine among the substances controlled by the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, thus triggering an unprecedented review of this substance by the WHO in nearly thirty years. This initiative, driven by concerns about addiction and the rise of new nicotine products, reignites the debate on the international status of nicotine and the adaptation of regulatory frameworks to the evolving market. While its chances of success remain very slim, the move highlights the growing tensions between public health imperatives and the economic interests of the tobacco and nicotine industry.

A public health issue for Palau, the Asia-Pacific region and the entire world

Palau, a small Pacific island nation of approximately 18,000 inhabitants, has for several years pursued a strict policy against tobacco and non-medical nicotine products. In 2023, around 21% of its adults still smoked cigarettes, according to the local government, while 46% of young people used e-cigarettes in 2022. The country banned e-cigarettes that same year, and by 2025, it ranked second out of 100 countries in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, indicating minimal influence from the industry on its public health policy.

Ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum on Non-Communicable Diseases, the archipelago asked the United Nations to include nicotine among the substances covered by a 1971 treaty regulating psychotropic drugs such as LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and other controlled substances.[1], in order to improve law enforcement, reduce cross-border trafficking and limit the exposure of adolescents[2]. In a document submitted to the WHO, experts from Palau also state that it is common for people to use several types of nicotine products,« maintaining addiction and increasing cumulative exposure rather than facilitating withdrawal »This request triggered a scientific review by the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, the first on nicotine since the 1990s. Even if the Committee recommends reclassification, the final decision will still have to be submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, a political body of 53 member states serving four-year terms. A vote is scheduled for March 2028.

For its proponents, this initiative opens a new front in the global fight against the availability of tobacco and nicotine products, at a time when more than 7 million people die prematurely each year from tobacco-related illnesses and the industry is increasingly turning to new nicotine products, particularly e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, to regain and expand its markets. More than a billion people worldwide are still addicted to this toxic substance, and the effects of these new products are underestimated because they are still poorly understood. However, it is recognized that cardiovascular and neurological problems can appear in young nicotine users, while according to the WHO, 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes worldwide, nine times more than adults in the same countries.

The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has called on ASEAN member states to support the Republic of Palau (which is not a member) in this ambitious initiative, noting that most of its members have themselves banned e-cigarettes and/or heated tobacco or are considering doing so.[3]. " Given the current and overwhelming scientific evidence, nicotine should be subject to strict global control. The Government of Palau is taking a necessary step to close a long-standing regulatory gap that has allowed nicotine to remain insufficiently controlled despite its known harms. »" said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Managing Director of SEATCA.

The international framework for controlled substances only recognizes nicotine alone in low doses for smoking cessation.

United Nations treaties impose specific rules on member states regarding the import, export, production, and possession of controlled substances, except for scientific or medical use. Substances are classified according to established criteria, based on their potential for addiction, risk of abuse, threat to public health, and therapeutic value. One of the treaties allows any country, regardless of size, to request the inclusion or reclassification of a substance.

The first international drug treaty, signed in 1961, targeted opiates, heroin, and cannabis. The 1971 treaty created a specific category for psychotropic drugs, including LSD and ecstasy. Later, cannabis, recognized as highly addictive but potentially therapeutic, was removed from the list of drugs without medical use, like heroin. In its last review of nicotine in 1996, the WHO Scientific Committee noted that smoking cessation aids, such as patches, chewing gum, lozenges, and inhalers, had become available without a prescription. The committee concluded that these therapeutic products are characterized by low doses of nicotine and do not cause hallucinations, nor motor, cognitive, behavioral, perceptual, or mood disturbances, provided they are taken alone. In the late 1990s, the WHO was working with all countries on the development of what would become the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005. This treaty includes provisions on tobacco products but also on provisions for the treatment of tobacco addiction.

Since then, electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches have appeared on the market, and while these products have been included in the decisions made at the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to this treaty, the initial position adopted was to allow countries to regulate them according to their specific circumstances. However, these new products lead their users to absorb more nicotine, particularly synthetic nicotine, with addictive mechanisms linked to the highly appealing sweet and fruity flavors. Consequently, these products are being used by non-smokers, especially young people. In 2018, when flavored e-cigarettes first appeared on the market, the US Director of Public Health described vaping among teenagers as "' epidemic ".

The inclusion of nicotine in the list of controlled substances under the 1971 Convention would add a level of molecular control to existing product regulations, while complying with Article 2.1 of the FCTC relating to forward-looking measures« aiming to better protect human health »[4].

A risk of international gridlock, in a context of omnipresent tobacco lobbying.

Nevertheless, several experts believe at this stage that a reclassification will not be completed, due to the influence of lobbyists.

" From a political standpoint, it is out of the question for alcohol or nicotine to be included in this group. »,« says Jürgen Rehm, senior researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada’s largest academic mental health hospital.« Well-established commercial interests determine the reaction of our governments. A veto would therefore be inevitable. »This observation comes at a time when The interference of tobacco and nicotine is intensifying its efforts worldwide, especially within the European Union and its decision-making bodies.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Kathryn Kranhold, Pacific island nation Palau asks UN to classify nicotine as a controlled substance, The Examination, published on June 15, 2026, accessed on June 16, 2026

[2]Ngeldei Tulop, Palau Makes Historic Call for UN Nicotine Control Ahead of Pacific Leaders' Forum, Island Times, published on June 12, 2026, accessed on June 16, 2026

[3]ASEAN Support Urged for Palau's Historic Call for UN Review of Nicotine, SEATCA, published on June 12, 2026, accessed on June 16, 2026

[4]Palau calls United Nations to Review Nicotine, European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), published on June 10, 2026, accessed on June 16, 2026

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