New tobacco and nicotine products: WHO sets red lines ahead of COP11

Ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11 of the FCTC), the World Health Organization is publishing a position note[1] The detailed report reiterates that all tobacco and nicotine products pose health risks and that the concept of "harm reduction" should not be used as a pretext for weakening regulations. Released a few days before the start of international negotiations, the report warns against manufacturers' strategies to promote a falsely "less harmful" image of their new products, at the expense of public health objectives.

A clear reminder: all nicotine products carry risks

In its statement, the WHO reaffirms a fundamental principle: no tobacco, nicotine, or derivative product can be considered safe for health. Whether e-cigarettes, heated tobacco devices, nicotine pouches, or traditional forms of oral and smoked tobacco, all expose their users to risks, including strong nicotine addiction, and can cause harm whose true extent will take years to fully measure.

The organization emphasizes a crucial point often overlooked in marketing: the extreme diversity of products makes any overall comparison between categories impossible. Not only does the chemical composition differ from one product to another, but each product can be modified, flavored, repackaged, or used very differently depending on individual behavior. This technological and behavioral diversity "limits the ability to generalize risk levels," according to the WHO, which reiterates that long-term assessments are essential to fully understand their effects.

Beyond the inherent risks, the WHO is raising concerns about the actual conditions of use, which are particularly worrying for flavored e-cigarettes and products with high nicotine concentrations. Their attractive design, combined with widespread online availability and targeted marketing strategies, facilitates experimentation and adoption among young people, exacerbating the risks of initiation and early addiction. According to the organization's latest figures, more than 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 now use e-cigarettes, and these young people are on average nine times more likely to use them than adults. This finding illustrates that nicotine products, presented as innovative, are particularly appealing to young people and are far from harmless.

For the WHO, there is no ambiguity: the health risks are systemic, cut across all product categories, and must be assessed in light of their population-wide consequences—exposure, dual or polyuse, addiction, initiation of non-smokers, and attractiveness to young people. In this perspective, the organization reaffirms that the priority of public policy must remain the reduction of demand and the prevention of initiation, rather than an artificial segmentation of risk levels advocated by the industry.

Marketing strategies that threaten public health progress

The products are designed to be appealing, with fruity or sweet aromas, bright colors, miniaturized formats, and packaging that resembles fashion items. This visual and sensory appeal is reinforced by ubiquitous marketing, particularly on social media and through campaigns led by influencers followed by minors.

The WHO also highlights how the industry normalizes these products by presenting them as modern technological devices, compatible with a "healthy" or "responsible" lifestyle, deliberately blurring the line between an addictive product and an ordinary consumer item. This strategy contributes to weakening tobacco control policies by creating the illusion that regulations can be relaxed without compromising public health objectives. For the WHO, this attempt to reposition the industry as a "partner" in solutions is incompatible with protecting public health and runs counter to the spirit of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Finally, the organization points out that the industry continues to manipulate public debate by emphasizing the notion of a "less harmful" product, while systematically omitting the risks associated with dual use, prolonged addiction, and cumulative exposure to toxic substances. This partial and biased narrative contributes to maintaining consumers in a state of prolonged dependence and delaying attempts to quit.

Intensified lobbying efforts in the lead-up to COP11

Just days before the opening of COP11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, this position comes amid intensified lobbying efforts by the tobacco industry and its allies, particularly around the concept of "harm reduction." As at previous conferences, tobacco manufacturers, their subsidiaries, and a constellation of third-party organizations they fund are waging a communications and disinformation offensive.[2] to promote new nicotine products as "safer" or "innovative" solutions. Counter-events parallel to COP11, off-site media briefings, and targeted public interventions have already been announced, with the aim of influencing official debates and swaying delegations.

This pressure is being exerted even as new tobacco and nicotine products—e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches—are set to be on the agenda of the Conference of the Parties. Through this issue, the industry intends to focus the debates on this single topic and slow down, or even block, discussions on other subjects. Furthermore, it aims to prevent any regulation of these products that could harm its interests. Indeed, countries will have to address how to regulate these products and how to prevent the industry from using them to circumvent existing frameworks. This controversial aspect is already evident in intra-European negotiations: EU member states are struggling to agree on a common position, precisely because of differing views related to the new products and their associated terminology, with some countries being particularly receptive to manufacturers' rhetoric. This lack of consensus is temporarily weakening the EU's ability to defend a unified position.

A key recommendation: strictly regulate all products

Faced with these abuses, the WHO has adopted an unequivocal position: all tobacco, nicotine, and related products must be strictly regulated, whether they are "old" or emerging. The organization calls on governments to implement all the measures stipulated in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its guidelines, emphasizing that no product should receive preferential treatment under the pretext of "risk reduction."«

Among the priority measures, the WHO recommends:

• The strict implementation of existing bans, particularly in countries that have banned certain categories of products; ;
• Enhanced regulation of authorized products, including plain packaging, health warnings, appropriate taxes, and complete bans on advertising and sponsorship; ;
• The prohibition of attractive aromas and characteristics that encourage initiation among young people; ;
• Limiting nicotine concentrations and prohibiting additives with carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic properties; ;
• Better regulation of online sales to prevent access by minors and the development of uncontrolled markets.

The WHO emphasizes that these measures should not be seen as obstacles, but as essential tools for protecting current and future generations. It also stresses the need to safeguard public policies from industry interference by rigorously implementing all provisions of Article 5.3 of the UNFCCC.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] WHO position on Tobacco Control and Harm Reduction, WHO, published on November 12, 2025, accessed the same day

[2] Tobacco-free generation, A global disinformation offensive ahead of COP11, Published on October 8, 2025, accessed on November 13, 2025