Consumer advocacy groups in the Philippines are urging the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to integrate tobacco harm reduction (THR) into global control policies and consider the perspectives of the over 1 billion users it affects.
The call comes as the WHO FCTC holds its 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) in Geneva from November 17-22, 2025, to discuss new global tobacco control measures.
Groups including Vaper Ako, Consumer Choice Philippines (CCP) and the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP) said policymaking should be inclusive of smokers who are most affected by these control measures.
On November 13, 2025, vapers and consumer organizations submitted a petition to Malacañang with nearly 48,000 signatures, advocating for the protection of consumer rights related to less harmful smoking alternatives.
Vaper Ako expressed support for THR, noting that alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products have helped many Filipinos stop smoking combustible cigarettes. The groups emphasized the importance of upholding Republic Act No. 11900, also known as the Vape Law, which affirms the country’s commitment to tobacco harm reduction.
CCP issued a statement urging the WHO FCTC to acknowledge consumer rights and choices to use products that reduce harm from smoking. The organization promotes THR, a public health strategy offering less harmful alternatives like vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, citing scientific evidence that these non-combustible products pose significantly lower health risks.
“The evidence is clear: combustion kills, not nicotine. Safer alternatives exist and are effective. This is the time to stand with science and evidence,” CCP and NCUP said in a joint statement.
Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines president Anton Israel reminded the WHO that consumers of nicotine should not be treated as adversaries and appealed for “honest education that reaches the grassroots so smokers understand that less harmful alternatives exist.”
Israel highlighted that while nicotine is addictive it is not a carcinogen, emphasizing that the smoke from combustible cigarettes is the main cause of heart and lung diseases.
“Smoke-free products (SFPs) are for people who do not quit smoking. The WHO should support not punish people who choose to use better alternatives,” Israel said.
The NCUP also challenged the WHO to reevaluate its tobacco control strategy, arguing it has failed to achieve meaningful reductions in smoking. According to Israel the adult smoking rate in the Philippines increased to 23.2 percent in 2023 from 18.5 percent in 2021, which he suggests reflects the unintended consequences of WHO-backed policies including a rise in illicit cigarette activity due to high taxes.
Consumer groups also pushed for tax reforms stronger enforcement against illicit trade and supportive frameworks to help smokers switch to safer options. The NCUP believes the WHO should respect its member states’ authority to pass supportive measures like the Philippine Vape Law which is designed to reduce smoking-related harm.
Israel stressed that the Vape Law thoroughly regulates vapor products and provides strong protections for Filipino consumers. “We must stand firm in defending the Vape Law from the WHO and other agencies who seek to dismantle harm reduction in our country,” Israel said.
Public Health England reported that vaping is 95 percent less harmful than smoking. A study by Professor Christopher Cabuay projected that if half of adult smokers in the Philippines transitioned to non-combustible alternatives the country could save P3.4 billion annually in healthcare costs.
The study, titled “Assessing the Impact of Shifting to Non-Combusted Alternatives to Reduce the Economic Cost of Tobacco-Related Illnesses: A Cost of Illness Approach in the Philippine Case,” was published in August 2025 in the DLSU Business & Economics Review.
Delegates from 183 signatory countries to the WHO FCTC, which came into effect in 2005, are expected to attend COP11.
CCP said the WHO should adopt and maintain science-based policies that protect public health and uphold consumer rights.
“It’s time the WHO listen to real consumer experiences and stop imposing restrictive and prohibitionist policies that demonize nicotine consumers,” Israel said.
