An influential nicotine expert at the center of a debate about his ties to the vaping industry

Greek cardiologist Konstantinos Farsalinos, affiliated with the University of Patras and the University of Western Attica, is presented to the general public as a specialist in nicotine and tobacco-related "harm reduction." According to an investigation by Le Monde, The Examination, and Reporters United, he allegedly received funding of at least €7,000. from the American manufacturer Juul Labs in 2018, via a Cypriot company of which it is a co-owner.

The payment was linked to his participation in a meeting of the Israeli Ministry of Health, during which he argued against a ban on high-nicotine e-cigarettes. Farsalinos presented himself as an independent expert, although his travel and accommodation were notably covered by Juul.[1].

Disputed and undeclared remuneration

In June 2018, a Juul executive invited Konstantinos Farsalinos to attend a hearing at the Ministry of Health in Jerusalem, scheduled for July 5, 2018, to argue against the proposed ban on e-cigarettes with a nicotine concentration of 59 mg/ml. The doctor then asked Juul to draft a "« brief consultant contract »and demanded "« fees »€7,000, as well as a business class flight and coverage of his hotel expenses[2].

During this hearing, in the presence of Juul co-founder and chief technology officer Adam Bowen, and staff members from the scientific affairs division and the company's Israeli subsidiary, Farsalinos presented himself as an independent expert on the Juul company.

The documents that led to these revelations come from the archives of the University of California, San Francisco School of Law. Internal documents from manufacturers facing legal action were deposited in this collection. They show that Juul paid this sum to Farsalinos through Merescon Limited, a company based in Cyprus, which, according to its website, offers "« medical research and consulting services »equipped with a« public health research expertise »This company is jointly owned by Sophia Iliopoulou, Farsalinos' ex-partner and a Greek television journalist who hosts her own health program.

In his response to the media, Farsalinos stated that the compensation covered his expenses and travel time, and that he never represented Juul nor conducted research on its products. He denied any conflict of interest, asserting that his company complies with the law and that its commercial activities are separate from its scientific work.

However, this remuneration was not mentioned in the 18 scientific articles he published over the following three years, which specifically concerned vaping products, in violation of academic transparency rules. Following these revelations, several scientific publishers (Elsevier, Springer Nature, MDPI) launched internal investigations.

University affiliations called into question

The Greek universities to which Mr. Farsalinos claims affiliation have, for their part, contested his status. The University of Western Attica clarifies that he is neither a member of the academic staff nor a contract researcher. In Patras, he has been registered as a doctoral student for eleven years, without funding or active participation in research projects.

This controversy reignites the debate on transparency and scientific integrity in vaping studies, at a time when discussions on the taxation and regulation of nicotine products are intensifying within the European Union. A few weeks ago, information was released concerning a large-scale action plan proposed by the WHO at the European Union level, aimed at strengthening the fight against tobacco and new tobacco products. This revelation about scientists being paid by vaping product manufacturers without disclosing it, and who are using their scientific standing to influence public policy, also comes just days before the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which is intended to regulate these products.

A context marked by the influence of industry and scientific controversy

Farsalinos presents himself as a supporter of the "harm reduction" policy, an approach that encourages smokers to switch to alternative nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes. He has authored over a hundred academic studies promoting it.

According to the investigation by journalists from Le Monde and The Examination, he was already in talks in 2014 with the tobacco manufacturer JTI, the company behind the hybrid product "Ploom," to create a "" scientific society »"in exchange for a €50,000 investment from the company. In March 2018, Juul reportedly contacted him to offer him a job. In 2020, he published a study, not subject to peer review, suggesting that nicotine could protect against severe forms of COVID-19, despite contrary scientific evidence.".

In September 2025, he spearheaded a group of 83 public health experts and harm reduction advocates who, in a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, urged her to reconsider her plan to tax e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches. An email exchange from eleven years earlier, recently rediscovered, revealed that this strategy was inspired by Juul, which advised bringing together numerous health experts from diverse backgrounds, all aligned on health concerns, to present vaping as a neutral "harm reduction" solution and then expand it to a broad market.

The concept of "harm reduction" in the tobacco industry has never been proven, as all tobacco products are toxic. The tobacco industry uses and manipulates this concept in connection with its strategy of marketing new tobacco and nicotine products, presented as safer alternatives to traditional smoking. However, all of its marketing targets a young audience, shifting the positioning from the tobacco industry strictly speaking to the nicotine industry. This strategy is working, and the WHO has warned of the significant number of young people worldwide who have become addicted to these new products. The UN agency estimates that 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes globally.

In fact, these financial ties compromise the credibility of research in a field where the economic stakes are considerable. Robert N. Proctor, professor of the history of science at Stanford University, believes it is impossible to "« preserve its independence »"By accepting money from the tobacco or vaping industry." This revelation, according to health professionals, underscores the absolute necessity of greater transparency and verification of potential conflicts of interest between scientists and organizations taking a stance on these issues.

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[1]Matthew Chapman, Stéphane Horel, Eurydice Bersi, ‘'Independent' expert who helped shape global vaping debate was paid thousands by Juul, The Examination, published November 11, 2025, accessed November 12, 2025

[2]Matthew Chapman, Stéphane Horel, Eurydice Bersi, An influential cardiologist, a specialist in nicotine, received thousands of euros from the vaping industry., Le Monde, published on November 11, 2025, accessed on November 12, 2025

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