Governments accused of “extraordinary hypocrisy” in tobacco control policies

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has published a hard-hitting report claiming that governments worldwide are failing to uphold fundamental human rights by neglecting harm reduction in tobacco control.

Entitled The Right to Health and Public Health Policy, the analysis argues that global public health systems fall short of their obligations under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These guarantee the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Report co-author Nancy Loucas criticised governments for what she described as “extraordinary hypocrisy,” highlighting the contradiction between reliance on tobacco tax revenues and the restrictive regulation or outright bans on safer alternatives such as vaping products and nicotine pouches. “This directly contradicts both the spirit of harm reduction and governments’ obligations under Article 25 to reduce preventable illness,” she said.

Fellow author Clarisse Virgino added that systemic failures extend beyond tobacco policy, pointing to chronic underfunding of preventive care, inequities exposed by COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, and the persistence of “pay for play” health strategies that prioritise optics over effectiveness.

Virgino emphasised that these policies frequently fail to address core public health issues effectively, instead serving to generate favourable public perception for benefactors whilst perpetuating systems that continue to contribute to harm.

CAPHRA called for sweeping reform, insisting that public health policy must reflect the core human rights principles of availability of adequate healthcare facilities, accessibility without discrimination, cultural acceptability of services, and quality that meets scientific and medical standards.

“Without genuine accountability, transparency, and a renewed focus on the core values of human rights and harm reduction, these failures will persist and exacerbate global health inequalities,” Loucas warned.

“The challenge for governments and international bodies is to continuously align policies with this essential human rights framework. Upholding the right to health demands courageous, accountable leadership to dismantle systemic inequities and build a future where health is a guarantee, not a privilege.”