The World Health Organization has released reports on “novel” tobacco products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in an effort claimed by the agency “to inform countries on the current state of scientific knowledge as well as regulatory and policy options available.”
WHO’s position on electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems is that the products are not safe for young people, pregnant women, and adults who have never smoked. However, the agency does say that non-pregnant adult smokers who completely and promptly switch from combustible tobacco cigarettes to use of unadulterated and appropriately regulated ENDS and ENNDS alone might reduce their health risks. WHO says the key to any policy on these products is to “appropriately regulate these products, so as to minimize consequences that may contribute to the tobacco epidemic and to optimize the potential benefits to public health”, as well as “avoiding nicotine initiation among non-smokers and particularly youth while maximizing potential benefits for smokers”.
For heated tobacco products (HTPs), WHO’s stance is that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that HTPs are less harmful than conventional cigarettes and that there are concerns that while they may expose users to lower levels of some toxicants than conventional cigarettes, they also expose users to higher levels of other toxicants. It is not clear how this toxicological profile translates into short- and long-term health effects. The Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recognizes HTPs as tobacco products and therefore considers them to be subject to the provisions of the FCTC.
WHO has also published country case studies on ENDS and ENNDS regulation to share the range of regulatory practices found in Brazil, Canada, South Korea, and the UK.