Fighting the Last War: The WHO and International Tobacco Control


27 October 2021 -

London, United Kingdom

Fighting the Last War challenges the direction of travel of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ahead of the forthcoming Conference of the Parties (COP 9). Over recent years, these meetings have moved away from the fundamental aim of the treaty, which was to prevent disease and death linked to tobacco smoking. Instead, leaders in tobacco control have sought to undermine the growing evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of safer nicotine products and their public health potential.

In the report, author Harry Shapiro takes a close look at the history, development and often secretive processes of the FCTC COP, its early battles with the tobacco industry and the influences shaping international tobacco control’s response to safer nicotine products in 2021.

For any media enquiries, please contact Ruth Goldsmith at [email protected]


The report is available in the following formats:


The event broadcast is available on our Youtube channel: