WHO Prepares to Tackle Global Tobacco Pollution and Youth Vaping at Geneva Conference

Next week’s global tobacco control conference in Geneva will address the environmental and public health impact of tobacco products, including the staggering number of cigarette butts littering the planet. The 11th Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) runs from November 17 to 22.

Plastic cigarette filters are the most widely discarded item worldwide, with an estimated 4.5 trillion littered each year, according to the WHO. Andrew Black, acting head of the FCTC secretariat, said filters leach toxic chemicals and break down into microplastics, yet provide little to no benefit to smokers. “The best thing that we could see for the environment is getting rid of filters altogether,” he told reporters Thursday.

Rudiger Krech, WHO chief on environment and climate change, said the plastics are “the highest pollutants in waters” and are “contaminated with toxicants.” He added that banning plastic cigarette filters would address one of the most pervasive sources of pollution caused by the tobacco industry. While the ultimate decision rests with individual countries, the conference will encourage discussion on environmental regulations targeting tobacco waste.

The meeting will also address the ongoing global tobacco epidemic, which claims more than seven million lives annually, a figure the WHO calls “entirely preventable.” Delegates will discuss the aggressive marketing tactics of tobacco companies, especially the promotion of e-cigarettes and new nicotine products to children. According to WHO estimates, more than 100 million people use e-cigarettes worldwide, including at least 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that e-cigarettes, often promoted as safer alternatives, show no net public health benefit and carry mounting evidence of harm. Benn McGrady, head of WHO’s public health law and policies unit, highlighted the rise of youth-targeted marketing, noting that brightly colored, sweet-flavored products are specifically designed to attract children. He added that social media campaigns further expose young people to these addictive products.

The WHO has also warned of attempts by the tobacco industry to influence the conference. Tedros said the industry is motivated solely by profit and is trying to infiltrate discussions to weaken proposed regulations. McGrady echoed these concerns, describing aggressive lobbying efforts aimed at sowing division and promoting new products under the guise of harm reduction.

The FCTC, ratified by around 180 countries since 2005, has previously introduced measures such as smoke-free laws, pictorial health warnings, and increased tobacco taxes. Next week’s conference will determine the direction of global tobacco control, with a focus on environmental damage, youth prevention, and curbing industry influence.

As countries prepare to consider policy responses, WHO officials are calling for stricter controls on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of all tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, to protect both public health and the environment.