GFN•TV: News and Interviews

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.

The battle over safer nicotine products is certainly about health, but it’s also about something more important: autonomy. As governments embrace nicotine restrictions driven by moral panic and public health paternalism, adult choice is increasingly treated as a threat instead of a right to be respected.

In this episode of GFN Interviews, Reem Ibrahim of Reason examines the growing conflict between individual freedom and population-level control. From disposable vape bans and black markets to anti-capitalist hostility toward tobacco harm reduction, Ibrahim argues public health is drifting toward prohibition and away from the people it claims to protect.

Featuring:
REEM IBRAHIM
Research Fellow, Policy & Media, Reason Magazine
@reemamiribrahim
reemabrahim.com

Episode originally aired on October 20th 2022.

It’s very clear that “the war on drugs has metastasized to a war on vaping,” says Dr. Alex Wodak, physician, and renowned leader of the drugs harm reduction movement. While tobacco harm reduction advocates will have to endure “fear and smear” campaigns by entrenched prohibitionists within tobacco control, THR will succeed in the end.

Featuring:
DR. ALEX WODAK
Physician, Internal Medicine
Board Member, Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association
Former Director, Alcohol and Drug Services, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney
Twitter: @AlexWodak

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.