WHO Report on the Scientific Basis of Tobacco Product Regulation
This 334 page report is the 8th report of the WHO study group, Technical Report Series 1029. It is especially valuable in detailing regulation of heated tobacco products (HTP) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). The study group reviewed multiple papers, which addressed the following topics:
- Toxicants in HTPs, exposure, health effects and claims of reduced risk (section 2);
- The attractiveness and addictive potential of HTPs: effects on perception and use and associated effects (section 3);
- Variations among HTPs, considerations and implications (section 4);Use of HTPs:
- product switching and dual or poly product use (section 5);
- Regulations on HTPs, ENDS and ENNDS, with country approaches, barriers to regulation and regulatory considerations (section 6);
- Estimation of exposure to nicotine from use of ENDS and from conventional cigarettes (section 7);
- Exploration of methods for quantifying individual risks associated with ENDS, ENNDS and HTPs: impact on population health and implications for regulation (section 8).
- Flavors in novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (section 9);
- Global marketing and promotion of novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products and their impacts (section 10);
- Forms of nicotine in tobacco plants, chemical modifications and implications for ENDS products (section 11);
- andEVALI: “e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury” (section 12).
The Study Group’s recommendations seek to promote international coordination of regulatory efforts, the adoption of best practices in product regulation and strengthen product regulation capacity-building across all WHO regions. This report is a ready resource to Member States, based on sound science and support the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) by its States Parties.
The report, which is a WHO global public health good will complement the global efforts to strengthen the implementation of WHO FCTC (target 3a of the Sustainable Development Goals), thereby helping reduce tobacco use and improve overall public health at country, regional and global level.
Each chapter of the report has been summarized for regulators to support policy action at country level based on the evidence-based recommendations of the report. These summaries, which are derivative products of the TRS, will be published shortly.”
The report is available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022720
Stephen Hamann
