GFN25: Cutting Through The Noise
Cutting through the noise: The 12th iteration of the Global Forum on Nicotine is aiming to address effective communications for tobacco harm reduction
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by Dave Cross
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Organisers of the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) say that evidence supporting the inclusion tobacco harm reduction is growing, as is the consumer uptake of safer nicotine products, but the risk perceptions of vapes and other alternative products are deteriorating. Experts at GFN25 in June will address the communications issues impeding progress for tobacco harm reduction.
Registration is now open for the annual Global Forum on Nicotine which will hold its twelfth edition this summer in Warsaw, Poland, from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 June 2025 at the Presidential Hotel, Warsaw (formerly the Marriott).
Organisers say: “Challenging perceptions - effective communication for tobacco harm reduction will discuss ways to overcome one of the major obstacles to widespread adoption of an approach that could dramatically improve the health of millions of people who smoke.”
As long-term vapers will be fully aware, there have been huge technological advances in nicotine delivery systems. Coupled with the dramatic development of vapes, products such as pouches, pasteurised snus and heated tobacco products have come to market to offer significantly safer ways to use nicotine than tobacco cigarettes.
GFN’s organisers add: “In many countries, including Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the UK, consumer uptake of SNP has accelerated falling smoking rates; in some markets, sales are now challenging the dominance of the combustible cigarette. Yet this headway is being slowed by a paradox: as the scientific evidence in favour of tobacco harm reduction continues to grow, popular opinion about safer nicotine products is deteriorating.
“Internationally, bans and restrictions are proliferating. Media discourse and some public health messaging focuses on scare stories about safer nicotine products, while ignoring the massive ongoing health crisis caused by tobacco use.(1,2) One 2024 study of over 28,000 adults who smoke in England found that the last decade has seen harm perceptions of vaping worsen substantially, to the extent that most adults who smoked in 2023 falsely believed vapes to be equally as or more harmful than cigarettes.(3) The net result is that more people will continue to smoke for longer.”
GFN Conference Director Jessica Harding says the focus on effective communications has emerged from a milestone reached in the development of the approach.
“We’re now a quarter of a century into harm reduction for risky tobacco use,” she says. “Millions have already used safer nicotine products to quit smoking, but it’s too slow, and messaging is a big part of this. We’ve got to make the case effectively with policymakers, but it’s also crucial at grassroots level, from consumer to consumer, helping those still smoking find their own route to switch or quit.”
GFN25 will encourage reflection, discussion and debate on how professionals and consumers can combat the misunderstandings, misconceptions and mischaracterisations that are putting the brakes on progress. The event will bring together global experts on nicotine and tobacco harm reduction, consumer advocates and those with expertise in complex messaging.
Registration is open now, with discounted accommodation rates available until 15 May
Like previous years, keynote presentations will take place daily, followed by commentary from a respondent and the opportunity for Q&A from the audience, both in the room and online. Daily moderated panel discussions and workshops will have similar opportunities for audience engagement and participation.
The Global Forum on Nicotine’s broadcast arm, GFN TV, will again provide live commentary on the event, and all who register have the opportunity to contribute content and share tobacco harm reduction research, advocacy or views. Submissions are being sought for GFNFives, the ScienceLab and the GFN Film Festival before the deadline of 14 May, as well as for the inaugural GFN Photo Festival, a new addition to the creative component of the conference.
The Global Forum on Nicotine 2025: Challenging perceptions - effective communication for tobacco harm reduction (#GFN25) runs from Thursday 19 until Saturday 21 June, with side events taking place on Wednesday 18 June, at the Warsaw Presidential Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, Warsaw 00-697 Poland.
References:
- Pesko, MF, Cummings, KM et al: (2023), United States public health officials need to correct e-cigarette health misinformation. Addiction, 118: 785-788. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16097
- Balfour, DJ, Benowitz, NL et al: (2021) Balancing Consideration of the Risks and Benefits of E-Cigarettes. American Journal of Public Health 111, 1661_1672, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306416
- Jackson SE, Tattan-Birch H et al: (2024) Trends in Harm Perceptions of E-Cigarettes vs Cigarettes Among Adults Who Smoke in England, 2014-2023. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e240582. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0582
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
