A powerful new policy paper from the World Vapers Alliance (WVA) has just shaken up the global conversation on tobacco control, and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time. Published to mark the 20th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the report argues that tobacco-free nicotine pouches and vaping are now the most effective tools we have to eliminate smoking.
According to the paper, the WHO’s decades-old “quit or die” approach has “likely cost millions of lives” by ignoring or actively resisting safer alternatives. Instead, the WVA calls for a science-based, risk-proportionate regulatory model, one that treats products based on their actual risk and not ideology.
Pouches: The Underdog Hero in the Fight Against Smoking
While vapes have long been hailed for their harm-reduction potential, nicotine pouches are now stepping into the spotlight, and with good reason. These small, tobacco-free products deliver nicotine under the lip without combustion or inhalation, making them even further removed from traditional smoking risks.
The WVA ranks nicotine pouches as the furthest away from cigarettes in terms of health risk. Backing that up, a UK market survey in 2024 found that half of all pouch users had successfully quit smoking, while 64% said banning flavored pouches would drive them back to cigarettes.
Canada’s Cautionary Tale—and Sweden’s Success Story
Canada’s policy decisions show what not to do. The government has banned all nicotine pouch flavors except mint and menthol, and limited legal sales to pharmacies, leading to a booming black market online. Meanwhile, Sweden has completly eliminated smoking, thanks to its open and supportive approach to snus, nicotine pouches, and vapes. Smoking rates there are now under 5%, making it the first EU country to go officially “smoke-free”, and it’s no coincidence that it also reports some of the lowest tobacco-related disease rates in Europe.
This trend isn’t limited to Sweden. Countries like New Zealand and the UK have also seen major declines in smoking after adopting harm reduction-friendly regulations.
The Time to Act Is Now
The WVA’s paper offers 20 concrete lessons for policy reform, but the bottom line is clear: treating all nicotine products the same is not only bad science – it’s bad public health. Delegates heading to the next FCTC conference are urged to revise the treaty’s language, protect access to flavored safer alternatives, and include consumer voices in the global discussion.The Considerate Pouchers community stands fully behind these calls. We are living proof that nicotine pouches help people quit smoking – and lead healthier, smoke-free lives.
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