CAPHRA Asia Pacific
@caphra.bsky.social
35 followers 29 following 260 posts
Consumers fighting for the right to make informed choices & access to safer nicotine products for adults in Asia Pacific. www.caphraorg.net
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caphra.bsky.social
The inaugural Asia Forum on Nicotine is TODAY, 27 August. Webinar starts at 1:00pm Singapore.

You can watch at the following links:
afn.asia
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Ay...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjef...
caphra.bsky.social
COP11 deliberations sideline harm reduction despite proof it saves lives. To remain relevant, the FCTC must honor its own Article 1(d). #COP11 #THRworks #TobaccoControl bit.ly/48NeYDp
caphra.bsky.social
New Zealand: record low smoking rates via vaping regulation.
Sweden: lowest tobacco mortality thanks to snus.
UK & Canada: pragmatic vaping policies drive cessation.
Harm reduction works. Policy must catch up.
#COP11 #THRworks #TobaccoControl bit.ly/48NeYDp
caphra.bsky.social
A better path is clear:
✔ Evidence-based regulation
✔ Consumer education
✔ Access to safer alternatives
Prohibition isn’t progress—it’s a deadly mistake. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
In Bangladesh, adult smoking prevalence was approximately 16.8% in 2022, with a significant gender disparity: 34.1% for men and only 0.4% for women. youtu.be/37nXXVJK2Fw
caphra.bsky.social
“Protecting public health” with SNP bans is a dangerous illusion. The outcome? More smoking, thriving black markets, and higher death rates. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
The World Health Organization’s FCTC guidance is failing Asia Pacific. Countries are adopting bans that worsen smoking rates while ignoring harm reduction evidence. Time for reform. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
Harm reduction is embraced for HIV, drugs, and alcohol. But for tobacco? Suddenly it’s dismissed as an “industry narrative.” This contradiction threatens the credibility of the FCTC. #COP11 #THRworks #TobaccoControl bit.ly/48NeYDp
caphra.bsky.social
The FCTC defines tobacco control as supply, demand, and harm reduction. Yet COP11 draft decisions omit harm reduction entirely. Ignoring Article 1(d) risks undermining global health progress. #COP11 #THRworks #TobaccoControl bit.ly/48NeYDp
caphra.bsky.social
Critics warn that vape bans in Malaysia could fuel illicit markets that mirror those of traditional cigarettes, and harm a legal vape industry that employs thousands
caphra.bsky.social
LMICs bear the heaviest tobacco burden worldwide. Blocking safer options denies millions the chance to quit smoking and reduces their chance of survival. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
❌ Ban safer alternatives
✅ Watch cigarette sales rise
✅ Watch black markets thrive
✅ Watch health risks grow
This is the reality of SNP bans in Asia Pacific. Time for evidence-based regulation. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
Bans don’t protect youth. They push young people toward cigarettes and illicit products with unknown ingredients. Education + access—not prohibition—are the real solutions. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
Multiple state governments have halted the issuance and renewal of vape sales licenses, signaling an increasing move toward stricter regulation
caphra.bsky.social
Evidence from the UK, Japan & New Zealand shows vaping reduces smoking. Why are Asia Pacific governments ignoring real-world success in favor of ideology? bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
LMICs account for 80% of the world’s 1.3B tobacco users—yet bans cut off access to safer alternatives. These policies lock people into smoking, maintaining the deadly status quo. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
Malaysia is currently considering a phased federal vape ban, starting with open-system vapes, amid rising use and health concerns. Where was this concern with cigarettes?
caphra.bsky.social
Bans on safer nicotine products fuel black markets, not health. In Thailand, the underground SNP trade is a multi-million-dollar industry, putting consumers at even greater risk. Regulation works—prohibition doesn’t. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
Public health advocates are raising concerns that bans on safer nicotine products (SNPs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly across the Asia Pacific region, are worsening smoking-related harms rather than reducing them.

bit.ly/42OPMsw
Reposted by CAPHRA Asia Pacific
fitzroy777.bsky.social
The opposition to Tobacco Harm Reduction is based on ideology and hubris, not evidence. It is damaging in 2 ways;
1. Continue high death rates in vulnerable populations by prohibiting safer tobacco products
2. Undermines credibility of evidence based policy and promotes extremists eg anti-vaxxers
Reposted by CAPHRA Asia Pacific
alexwodak.bsky.social
Why is @who.int running meeting like this? Because they know @whofctc.bsky.social is on wrong track! Even more embarrassing if exposed in daylight.
caphra.bsky.social
Unlike other UN processes, #COP11 will:
❌ exclude consumers
❌ bar the media
❌ block livestreaming
All behind closed doors.
Harm reduction deserves sunlight, not secrecy. #FCTC #Transparency bit.ly/4pQHtXh
Reposted by CAPHRA Asia Pacific
alexwodak.bsky.social
@tcrgbath.bsky.social completely miss plot as safer nicotine products rapidly replace combustible cigarettes. Global vapes plus nicotine pouches doubling time now <6 years! Despite furious headwinds from nicotine abstinence activists like TCRG @caphra.bsky.social @chancethegardener.bsky.social
tcrgbath.bsky.social
🧵 (1/3)

🎙️ Series 2 of our podcast Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco is here! 🚨

🎧 Listen and share to help us hold this deadly industry to account: shows.acast.com/deadly-indus...

@uniofbath.bsky.social @lhgp.bsky.social @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social
caphra.bsky.social
🚨 Banning safer nicotine products (SNPs) in LMICs doesn’t stop nicotine use—it drives people back to cigarettes. India’s vape ban was followed by an 8% rise in cigarette sales. Policy failure at the expense of public health. bit.ly/BansSA
caphra.bsky.social
A cultural conflict exists between Western-funded tobacco control advocacy and the policy choices directly impacting Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), particularly in Asia
caphra.bsky.social
With only 10 days’ notice for public registration, WHO FCTC has ensured exclusion.
This is not consultation—it’s obstruction.
CAPHRA urges all stakeholders: call out the flaws, demand genuine participation. #COP11 #FCTC bit.ly/4pQHtXh