In this very special episode we're joined by Jessica Harding, Programme Director of this year's Global Forum on Nicotine conference! We unpack the A-list lineup of guest speakers, plenaries and much much more that you can expect at #GFN25 which takes place 19 - 21 June 2025.
Transcription:
00:04
Joanna Junak: Hello and welcome. I'm Joanna Junak and this is GFN News on GFN.tv. Global Forum on Nicotine, a conference dedicated to reducing the harms associated with harmful tobacco use, continues to attract consistent interest. The next edition will take place in June, from first day June 19 to Saturday June 21, at the Presidential Hotel in Warsaw. We will meet again to discuss the latest scientific research and innovative solutions in the field of tobacco harm reduction. Joining us today to share more details about this year's edition of the conference is Jessica Harding, GFN program director. Hello Jessica, it's good to have you on the program. Let's start with the main theme of this year's GFN25 conference. What was your reason for choosing it?
01:17
Jessica Harding: Thank you, Joanna, and thank you for inviting me. This year's GFN is going to be all about communications. And so we've chosen the strap line, challenging perceptions, effective communication for tobacco harm reduction. We chose this because although it's well known that smoking is one of the biggest killers, what is less recognized is that tobacco harm reduction is actually a powerful weapon in the fight against smoking. But very sadly, As the evidence for tobacco harm reduction grows, and even though more and more people are using the products, the risk perceptions and public understanding is actually getting worse. So at GFN in June, we're going to be addressing the communications issues because they are holding back progress for tobacco harm reduction and they're holding back progress in the fight against smoking.
02:11
Joanna Junak: And what is the outline of the conference programme? And what types of sessions can we expect?
02:17
Jessica Harding: Well, we have a lot planned. Over the three days of GFM, we're going to have three keynote speeches. We're going to have five big plenary panel discussions and many, many parallel sessions. The parallel sessions will include sessions on media and messaging, then include workshops, including one on flavours. We'll have science lab, film festival and a session in Spanish. So there's a lot to choose from, but as usual, one track will be live streamed and most of the other sessions will be recorded so that everyone will be able to catch up on the sessions they missed afterwards by going to our YouTube channel. Our big discussion sessions, the topics we're planning are, we've got one on evaluating WHO science, we have one on nicotine pouches, we have one on the role of the media, We have one on who else needs to be in the room, who else needs to be joining the conversation, and also one on the relationship between regulation and innovation. So it's going to be a very busy week.
03:23
Joanna Junak: Okay, so when will the conference speakers be announced?
03:28
Jessica Harding: Well, we were thrilled to announce recently that Ariel Celia will be giving the Michael Russell aeration. Ariel will be introduced by Clive Bates. We've also announced that Mark Tindall will be joining us in Warsaw to give the first keynote for the conference. In total, we expect to have over 80 speakers with us in Warsaw, so please expect to see many more announcements. I suggest you keep an eye on our social media feeds and also sign up to our excellent newsletter to stay informed.
04:01
Joanna Junak: Last year, the Science Lab was a success, and it's being planned again this year. Could you please tell us more about it?
04:10
Jessica Harding: Yeah, Science Lab was a very exciting innovation for us this last year, so we're really pleased to be offering it again. And I urge all scientists listening to this to consider participating. The sessions are based around our well-known GFM5 videos, which are short five-minute videos submitted by the GFM community. Anybody submitting a GFM5 in the science category can choose to enter their video to Science Lab. If they're selected, they will be invited to a science lab session to show their video and discuss it with the audience. Actually, if you look, we've actually constructed a playlist showing all the sessions from last time. So would urge anyone considering it to go look at the playlist to see firsthand what the format, how it works.
04:57
Joanna Junak: This year's conference also includes a film festival and a photo festival. Can you please tell us more about it?
05:05
Jessica Harding: Well, we ran the first GFM film festival last year and it had such a good reception, we just had to do it again. And this year we're introducing the photography festival as well, which is really exciting. Both festivals are open to anyone over the age of 18, and there is a $500 prize for the winner. For the film festival, selected films will be shown during the GF annual Warsaw, and selected photos entered to the photo festival will be displayed at the conference. Our closing date is the 15th of May.
05:43
Joanna Junak: So how does the global firm on nicotine improve communications around tobacco harm reduction?
05:49
Jessica Harding: Thank you, Joanna. Well, as the only conference devoted to tobacco harm reduction and the one which welcomes all stakeholders, and we are especially proud that consumers consider GFN to be their home. GFN hosts the biggest conversation about tobacco harm reduction, both in Warsaw and online. And this year, as well as facilitating this dialogue between stakeholders, the theme of communication will allow us to examine specifically the issues with communication in tobacco home reduction, including the public's misperceptions of nicotine in order to help develop strategies to tackle it.
06:30
Joanna Junak: Thank you, Jessica. That's all for today. Tune in next time here on GFN TV or on our podcast and make sure to check out our social media pages for the latest updates on this year's Global Forum on Nicotine Conference. We also encourage you to submit your work for GFN Science Lab, the Film Festival and GFN Fives. Thanks for watching or listening. See you next time.