GFN•TV: News and Interviews

What happens when governments ignore science and choose outright prohibition over evidence-based public health? In this panel discussion, international experts and harm-reduction advocates break down the global shift toward nicotine prohibition and the severe, unintended consequences of banning safer nicotine alternatives.

In this compelling presentation, Dr. Alex Wodak explores the inevitable and rapid shift from combustible tobacco to safer nicotine alternatives. Moving beyond just the obvious health benefits, Dr. Wodak dives deep into the broader impact of these disruptive technologies and outlines why harm reduction advocates are crucial in shaping future legislation.

What happens when governments implement blanket bans on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) products? In this insightful panel discussion, experts from around the world expose the dangerous, unintended consequences of over-regulation and prohibition - what moderator John Fell calls the "invisible foot."

From street-level corruption to billion-dollar criminal enterprises, our panel explores how prohibition fails to stop consumer demand and instead directly fuels global organized crime.

Is public health losing its way? In his 13th presentation at the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN), Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos delivers a powerful address on the "ideological war" surrounding tobacco harm reduction.

As supranational organizations and regulatory bodies lean heavily toward dogmatic prohibitions and restrictive frameworks, Dr. Farsalinos argues that the foundational principles of true public health - empathy, compassion, and human autonomy - are being left behind in favor of a moralistic "quit or die" agenda.

Tune in to discover why defending science-backed, safer alternatives isn't just a matter of medicine and epidemiology, but a fundamental fight for human rights and personal freedom.

In this episode, researcher Chimwemwe Ngoma breaks down a comprehensive national study analyzing the tobacco use patterns of over 30,500 adults. While an overwhelming 95% of Malawians do not use tobacco, the data reveals a stark socioeconomic divide: smoking prevalence among the poorest communities is double that of the wealthiest.

What does it take to implement life-saving public health programs in the Middle East and Africa? In this episode of GFN Insights, Amjad Malaeb from MENAHRA shares the critical challenges and breakthroughs of harm reduction in this region.

In this interview, public health expert Amjad Malaeb dives into his five-year journey working with the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA). Amjad discusses how the organization has expanded its scope from HIV-focused harm reduction for people who use drugs to a holistic healthcare approach addressing tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis. Discover the harsh realities of navigating complex political and security landscapes, the critical role of stakeholder and community engagement, and how the Global Fund MENA Learning Hub is empowering local communities with essential knowledge.

Is the UK’s "smoke-free generation" plan destined to backfire?

In this episode of GFN News, host Zuzanna Kopacz sits down with author and freelance writer Jacob Grier to unpack the practical realities and hidden dangers of the newly passed UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

While the policy aims to create a smoke-free generation by phasing out legal tobacco sales for anyone born after 2009, Grier argues that the legislation ignores the needs of current smokers. Worse yet, by introducing sweeping bans on vape advertising and targeting alternative nicotine flavors, the bill threatens to shut down the very pathways that help smokers successfully switch to lower-risk harm reduction products.