Light Show Protest Before COP11 Challenges WHO Claims

Vaping Advocates Project Protest on COP11 Venue to Challenge WHO Tobacco Control Policies

A dramatic light show protest illuminated the COP11 venue in Geneva this week as the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) sought to highlight what they describe as misinformation threatening harm reduction policies across Caribbean nations. The visual demonstration aimed to draw attention to the absence of consumer voices in global tobacco control discussions and challenged what the group calls outdated strategies backed by the World Health Organization.

“The WHO remains trapped in an echo chamber of anti-science thinking that ignores the realities faced by nicotine consumers,” said Michael Landl, Director of the WVA. “Misinformation and fearmongering are driving policies that deny less harmful alternatives to smoking, putting public health at risk. Our protest demands that consumers’ voices be heard and their rights protected.”

The protest comes ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP11), scheduled for November 17-22 in Geneva, where representatives from signatory countries to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will discuss and shape global tobacco control policies.

At issue is the WVA’s concern that Caribbean nations may be disproportionately affected by global tobacco control measures while having minimal influence in the decision-making process. The organization argues that proposed WHO recommendations—including bans on flavored vaping products, stringent nicotine limits, and increased taxation—ignore scientific evidence suggesting that alternatives like vaping and nicotine pouches present substantially lower health risks than combustible cigarettes.

Public health experts remain divided on the issue. While some support the harm reduction approach championed by the WVA, arguing that providing smokers with less harmful alternatives can reduce overall smoking rates, others back the WHO’s more cautious stance, citing concerns about youth uptake and the long-term health effects of alternative nicotine products.

The Caribbean region faces unique challenges in tobacco control. With limited resources for public health initiatives and varying regulatory frameworks across nations, implementing effective policies becomes particularly complex. According to regional health data, smoking rates in some Caribbean countries remain stubbornly high despite traditional tobacco control efforts.

The WVA’s “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter” campaign specifically targets Caribbean governments, encouraging them to resist what the organization characterizes as one-size-fits-all bans. The campaign advocates for evidence-based policies tailored to local contexts, greater transparency in decision-making processes, and meaningful consumer representation in policy discussions.

“Caribbean countries have an opportunity to lead by example at COP11,” Landl noted. “By advocating for harm reduction approaches based on scientific evidence rather than ideology, these nations could pioneer more effective tobacco control strategies while protecting adult consumers’ access to potentially life-saving alternatives.”

Critics of the vaping industry argue that such advocacy often serves commercial interests rather than public health. They point to industry tactics similar to those historically employed by tobacco companies, including targeted marketing and questioning of scientific consensus.

The WHO has consistently maintained that all forms of tobacco and nicotine products pose health risks and should be strictly regulated. Their approach emphasizes precautionary principles, particularly regarding newer products with limited long-term safety data.

As the COP11 meeting approaches, the debate highlights fundamental tensions between competing public health philosophies: strict regulation and prohibition versus harm reduction and consumer choice. The outcomes of these discussions will likely shape tobacco control policies worldwide for years to come, with particular implications for developing regions like the Caribbean where tobacco-related illnesses continue to burden healthcare systems.

The Geneva protest marks an escalation in advocacy tactics as stakeholders position themselves ahead of what promises to be contentious policy negotiations at the upcoming conference.