“We salute his bravery at COP9 for promoting the Philippines’ balanced and evidence-based approach to safer nicotine products,” says Peter Dator, president of consumer group Vapers PH and CAPHRA member. “Opponents and officials have since done their best to discredit Secretary Locsin and disrespect our country’s democracy and sovereignty, but they have failed badly.”

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates), says it’s pleasing to see top Filipino politicians rally around Secretary Locsin, with the global vaping community also voicing its strong support via social media.

“In a world where smoking causes eight million deaths every year, Secretary Locsin has done everyone a huge favour. Telling COP9 about the success of ‘far less harmful novel tobacco products’ and the Philippine Government’s political support for them was music to the ears of the millions who’ve successful quit deadly cigarettes, via vaping,” she says.

During COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – Ms Loucas organised a global livestream, featuring world-leading THR experts and consumer advocates.

Dubbed sCOPe, the five-day YouTube simulcast attracted a significant audience globally, adding to the increasing pressure on the WHO to embrace safer nicotine products, rather than pushing to ban them.

“How can we trust the WHO and the FCTC when they are afraid of science? In this age of fake news and alternative facts, it is important for governments to take a stand for the facts and know how to sift through the propaganda. This is what Secretary Locsin did at COP9, and I join the Philippine Cabinet and Congress in commending his actions,” says Mr Dator.

To view Mr Dator’s message to COP9 delegates visit: https://youtu.be/g0pYPmRXxM8

Secretary Locsin’s speech at COP9 and other key moments will be analysed during a post-sCOPe wrap-up and discussion. sCOPe’s COP9 awards will also announced. It will be broadcast at https://bit.ly/30v701b from 6pm (Hong Kong Time) or 10am (GMT) on Wednesday, 17 November.

CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org, and add to the more than 14,000 testimonials available.

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit

Dubbed sCOPe, the YouTube simulcast will focus on COP9, the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Despite being shut out of COP9, vapers have vowed they will not be silenced.

Featuring world-leading Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) experts and consumer advocates, sCOPe will challenge COP9 and scrutinize who’s influencing the WHO’s efforts to demonize safer alternatives, and why.

sCOPe will be simulcast on YouTube at https://bit.ly/3aWBPxi and on Facebook from 12.00pm Hong Kong Time / 4.00am GMT on Monday, 8 November until midnight (HKT) Friday, 12 November.

Monday’s schedule (HKT):

12.00pm – CAPHRA What is Tobacco Harm Reduction – Short Film (English)

1.00pm – CAPHRA Panel Discussion – Colin Mendelsohn, MD, Expert (English)

4.00pm – ECST ENDS Cigarette Smoking Thailand Discussion (Thai)

5.00pm – COREISS Marewa Glover, PhD Presentation (English)

6.00pm – Vapers PH Philippines Discussion (Filipino)

9.00pm – MOVE/HRA MOVE (Malaysia) Discussion (Bahasa)

11.00pm – INNCO Panel with Jeff Zamora – (English)

sCOPe organiser, Nancy Loucas:

“For five days and nights, our global livestream will prove that the WHO’s position against safer nicotine products is untenable. Every adult has the right to choose safer options. It’s now time for COP9 delegates to stand up and speak out,” she says.

Samsul Kamal Ariffin, President of MOVE (Malaysian Organization of Vape Entities), and sCOPe panellist:

“As an ex-smoker, vaping has improved my health and arguably saved my life, yet outrageously, the WHO continues to pressure countries to ban it,” he says.

The latest episode of The Advocates Voice (TAV 8) follows the World Health Organization (WHO) releasing its eighth annual report on the global tobacco epidemic last month.

TAV 8 will premiere at 4pm Hong Kong Time / 9am GMT on Sunday, 15 August.

CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) says the WHO’s latest attack on safer nicotine products, driven and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, deserves the global ridicule it has attracted.

With the call ‘we need to get louder’ and ‘we are the evidence’, TAV 8 will kick off with a passionate video presentation. Featuring leading Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) experts and advocates, a panel discussion will follow.

TAV 8 will include Founding Chairman of ATHRA (Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association) Dr Colin Mendelsohn. He will talk about the looming restrictions for Australian vapers. From 1 October, it will be illegal for anyone to import nicotine for personal use without a prescription from a medical doctor, with penalties up to $222,000.

As a medical doctor who works full-time in tobacco treatment, Dr Mendelsohn will discuss the regulation’s likely impact on Australian smokers and vapers, and if pro-vaping new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce can change anything.

TAV 8 will provide THR public policy updates on what is happening in Malaysia and Mexico. It will also announce the launch of a new global advocacy initiative which encourages personal stories from around the world.

Led by Nancy Loucas, the TAV 8 panel will include Asia Pacific THR consumer advocates: Peter Paul Dator from the Philippines (Director of Vapers PH), Asa Saligupta (Director of ECST – ENDs Cigarette Smoke Thailand) and Samsul Kamal Ariffin (President of MOVE – Malaysian Organization of Vape Entities).

The discussion will centre around the impacts of the WHO report on consumers and what can, and should be, done to counter the misinformation narrative.

It will be simulcast on CAPHRA’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caphraorg and YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3fvNF4m. Questions from viewers to the panel are encouraged.

“Consumer advocates are increasingly angry that the WHO continues to promote its baseless and incredibly destructive view on vaping. It comes despite leading scientific evidence confirming vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and is the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool,” she says.

Nancy Loucas says the WHO seems determined to destroy the one version of harm reduction that has potential to reduce illness and save lives globally.

“The very organization charged with looking after our health continues to ramp up its efforts to deny people who smoke access to products that give them the chance to have a long and healthy life,” she says.

TAV 8 will also be encouraging viewers to sign the Right2Switch petition at change.org/v4v-petition. It urges the WHO to respect consumer rights and to stop demonizing Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of the next biennial meeting of the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in November.

To view the TAV 8 promotional video, visit https://youtu.be/QA-gVLWGcsk

‘Headlined ‘the battle between innovation and bully tactics’, the seventh episode of The Advocates Voice (TAV 7) led with public health expert Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos.

Hosted by Asia Pacific’s CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) the 11 July discussion is available to view Here.

Moderated by CAPHRA’s Nancy Loucas, TAV 7 included public relations expert and Medical Observer publisher, Jena Fetalino (Managing Director of JFPRC, Philippines). She believed the abuse levelled at THR advocates and the industry reflected just one thing.

“It shows that anti-vaping groups are now running out of arguments to justify their case and resort to defamation to demonize the vaping industry, the nicotine consumers, THR advocates, and THR in general,” said Ms Fetalino.

She encouraged THR advocates not to be silent but to confront ‘fake news’ head on: “They should be direct, straight forward and simple in their response, so that people will understand the issue, no matter how complex it may be.”

“Even if the attackers choose to focus on hitting below the belt, we should remain calm and present facts to inform and not to insult… We should be patient enough to clarify the issue by presenting our side, deny inaccurate information and rectify the errors… We should be armed with facts and evidence. In the end, the readers will discern what is true,” she said.

Ms Fetalino said instead of smokers, vapers and THR being demonized, the better story is who prevents smokers from changing, who prevents the tobacco industry from trying to become better, and who wants to block less harmful alternatives.

She was optimistic that opinions on THR will change over time, as ultimately science is on the side of THR.

Mirza Abeer (Director of ASAP Pakistan – Association for Smoking Alternatives in Pakistan), said a new wave of attacks is now being seen.

He described it as a natural progression. “Once THR opponents could no longer attack the science, they would target advocates and consumers. Such attacks must be met with fact-based arguments to break holes in their stories and show you’re not a soft target,” he said.

Asa Saligupta (Director of ECST – ENDs Cigarette Smoke Thailand) described it as fighting an uphill battle that would further escalate, but one in which consumers must stick together.

“If everyone thinks, ‘why bother it’s going to be too difficult’, then nothing’s going to happen…Then again, I look at my health, I came back from quitting smoking and turned to vaping. I look at my friends especially my sons… they quit smoking by vaping… Without Tobacco Harm Reduction, that would not be possible. They have thrived,” said Mr Saligupta.

Concluding the TAV 7 discussion, Dr Farsalinos said: ‘We need to be patient. We need to be consistent with our principals, with ethics of course, and we should not succumb to extortion. That’s my message.”

Consumer groups in the Asia Pacific region have also launched a petition at change.org/v4v-petition that urges the World Health Organisation (WHO) to respect consumer rights and to stop demonizing Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of the next biennial meeting of the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in November.

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit https://apthrmedia.org