GFN•TV: News and Interviews

Video originally aired on March 24th 2023.

Is the science publishing industry broken? Sarah Cooney doesn't think so. Learn more in advance of her keynote at GFN23.

Featuring:
Sarah Cooney
Scientist & Science Communicator
Former Head of Scientific Collaboration & Communication British American Tobacco, BAT
Director, Cooney Scientific Limited
@SarahCooneyMcQ

For too long, the voices of nicotine consumers have been sidelined, silenced, or willfully excluded from the global policy stage. From WHO COP meetings to local regulations, the people most impacted by these decisions are often the only ones without a seat at the table.

In this episode of GFN News, Zuzanna Kopacz speaks with Will Godfrey, Editor of Filter, about the launch of THR Global. This new platform is more than just a website—it is a mission to reclaim the narrative through the power of lived experience.

In a years-long campaign to eradicate smoking, Australia’s tobacco control establishment has lost all control of the nicotine market. Former law enforcement officer Rohan Pike says 70–80% of the tobacco market is now illicit, while roughly 95% of vaping has been pushed into criminal hands. The founder of Australia’s first Tobacco Strike Team explains how excessive taxes, vape prohibition, and policy denial empowered organized crime.

Featuring:
ROHAN PIKE
Illicit Trade Advisor,
Sr. Australian Federal Police Officer,
Founder, Tobacco Strike Team
pikeconsulting.com.au

Today we sit down with Marceline Akinyi to discuss the complex landscape of nicotine education and public health in Kenya. As the country faces a wave of product bans, Marceline highlights a dangerous gap between academic research and public understanding.

Email Jon at [email protected]

In this episode of GFN Insights, Jon Derricott from Knowledge Action Change (KAC) joins Joanna Junak to discuss the development of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) image library.

Hosted on Flickr, this unique initiative aims to document the rapidly evolving world of tobacco and nicotine products. From modern vape shops to traditional tobacconists and local products like gutka or negrimbo, the library serves as a vital, royalty-free resource for activists, journalists, and presenters worldwide.

One of the world’s leading harm reduction advocates sees disaster unfolding in Australia. Sky-high tobacco taxes and sweeping restrictions on nicotine vaping were meant to reduce harm—but instead, they’ve fueled a booming illicit market, siphoned billions in public revenue, and triggered a wave of violence tied to organized crime. In this GFN Interviews, Dr. Alex Wodak explains how Australia’s approach has veered into “quasi prohibition,” driving demand into the black market and overwhelming enforcement.

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

In this episode of GFN News, Zuzanna Kopacz sits down with Will Godfrey, Executive Editor of Filter, to dissect the latest findings from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). While public health agencies have long warned of a youth vaping "epidemic," the actual data reveals a startling and positive trend that many organizations seem reluctant to celebrate.

As youth smoking rates hit unprecedented lows, we ask: Why are the entities tasked with protecting public health stoking alarmism instead of acknowledging this historic decline?

Is the EU ignoring the most effective tool to end smoking? In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak sits down with renowned physician and public health researcher Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos to discuss his latest review on nicotine pouches. As smoking rates across the globe remain a primary public health concern, Dr. Farsalinos argues that we are overlooking a "promising harm-reduction option" that could save millions of lives.

Is the UK at a "regulatory crossroads"? As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill moves toward Royal Assent, a new government consultation threatens to legally ban vaping in all indoor spaces where smoking is already prohibited. In this interview, Bernice Evans, Chair of the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA), joins us to discuss the launch of the "Save Vaping" campaign. We dive deep into why treating vaping the same as smoking isn't just scientifically flawed - it's a massive risk to public health.

- May 8, 2026 (11:59 PM): Deadline to submit your response to the government consultation.
- October 1, 2026: New vaping taxes and business regulations are set to begin.

Take Action: Your voice matters! Visit SaveVaping.org to find resources on how to respond to the consultation and contact your MP. Don't let misinformed legislation undermine years of progress in harm reduction.

Australia’s vape crackdown was supposed to curb youth use—but in practice, it has created prohibition by proxy. While still legal, access to nicotine vapes is tightly controlled and choice is so severely limited that over 90% of all vapes in Australia are purchased on the black market.

In this episode of GFN Interviews, Australian GP Dr. Carolyn Beaumont examines how this system frustrates access to safer nicotine—from restrictive product approvals to medical guidelines that offer little real support for harm reduction.

Featuring:
DR. CAROLYN BEAUMONT, MD
Australian General Practitioner/Family Physician