Jagannath (Jaggi) Sarangapani is an independent tobacco harm reduction advocate from India with more than a decade of lived experience as a consumer of safer nicotine products. After smoking nearly 40 cigarettes a day for 20 years, he quit smoking through vaping and has remained smoke-free for over 10 years. His advocacy focuses on the consumer perspective in tobacco harm reduction and the importance of ensuring that adult smokers have access to safer alternatives.
Outside his advocacy work, Jagannath is a second-generation industrialist with more than 35 years of experience managing his family business, a pioneer in cellular plastics and insulated panels in India.
He maintains an active lifestyle as a fitness enthusiast and hybrid athlete, with a particular interest in running, strength training, and HYROX competitions. Jagannath holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and is also an alumnus of Columbia Business School
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Do smoke-free product/flavour bans work? | #GFN26 Workshop
13 Jul 2026
More than a billion adults globally smoke combustible cigarettes. The harm caused can be reduced if individuals switch completely to smoke-free products. Availability of a wide range of options can accelerate their switching journey. However, access to products is being restricted by either outright bans or flavour restrictions. Whilst aimed at preventing underage use, this overlooks the needs of adults who smoke. This session will focus on a rigorous, evidence-based evaluation of whether product/flavour bans achieve the objective of reducing youth use of smoke-free products, without undermining adult smokers’ access to effective switching options.