Wellington, New Zealand, 9 February 2026. The Coalition
of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA)
calls on Asia-Pacific governments to review WHO Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) following US withdrawal
from WHO (22 January 2026) and New Zealand Foreign Minister
Winston Peters questioning continued funding. The US cited
WHO’s mismanagement whilst Peters called the WHO
“unelected globalist bureaucrats” demanding taxpayer
scrutiny on international commitments.
“The US exit
demands FCTC reassessment, especially across
Asia-Pacific,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of
CAPHRA. “Article 1(d) mandates harm reduction, but WHO
blocks vaping and nicotine pouches. Why fund ideology
contradicting the treaty?”
“The treaty recognises
harm reduction, but current practice has not consistently
supported the tools that can accelerate the decline of
smoking. Governments should be asking whether the system is
aligned with its own mandate and with real world evidence”
says Loucas.
The organisation says this disconnect has
contributed to policies in some countries that prioritise
prohibition over regulation. According to CAPHRA, where
safer alternatives are heavily restricted or banned, smoking
rates often decline more slowly and illicit markets
expand.
“When safer alternatives are prohibited,
people do not stop using nicotine,” said Clarisse Yvette
P. Virgino of CAPHRA Philippines. “They continue using
cigarettes or turn to unregulated products. The effective
approach is responsible regulation that protects youth,
informs adults and keeps products within a legal and
enforceable framework.”
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New Zealand proves it works:
adult smoking fell to 6.8% via regulated alternatives.
Public health analysts, including former Action on Smoking
and Health UK director Clive Bates, have criticised the FCTC
process for not fully integrating emerging evidence from
countries achieving rapid reductions in smoking through risk
proportionate regulation.
CAPHRA argues that countries
that contribute financially and politically to the WHO
system should expect the FCTC to evolve in line with
contemporary science and measurable outcomes.
The
organisation is calling for greater transparency in
Conference of the Parties proceedings, broader engagement
with independent scientists, consumers and affected
communities, and clearer performance indicators based on
smoking prevalence, switching patterns and disease trends
rather than the number of product bans or
restrictions.
To remain effective in the twenty-first
century, CAPHRA says the FCTC should adopt a structured,
risk proportionate framework for all nicotine products. This
would include a dedicated mechanism within the FCTC system
to support evidence sharing, regulatory learning and policy
evaluation across countries.
“Countries like New
Zealand have shown that firm regulation combined with harm
reduction can drive smoking to historic lows,” Virgino
said. “Prohibition keeps people smoking. New Zealand’s
6.8% proves regulation works. FCTC ignores this
evidence.”
CAPHRA says governments across the Asia
Pacific now face a strategic choice about how international
tobacco control frameworks should evolve. The organisation
believes continued support for the FCTC should be linked to
accountability, transparency and a balanced approach that
prioritises reducing smoking related
harm.
