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According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the WHO and its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), established in 2005, is imposing stricter regulations on tobacco products, including new technologies like e-cigarettes that could be helpful in lessening cigarette use and, in some cases, completely helping a smoker to quit.
Death by Tobacco at an Alarming Rate
Smoking is a silent killer and is one of the biggest causes of preventable premature death in developing Asian countries such as China, which is reported to have two million smoking-related deaths by the year 2030, the outlet reports.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is also one of the countries with a prevalent smoking culture. The Jakarta Post, in a June report, even says that Indonesia is puffing its way to be the world's highest in smoking rates.
Resistance to Harm Reduction Technology
With the alarming rates of smoking in Asian countries, one would expect that new technologies to lessen the harmful effects of the habits would be supported by the WHO and FCTC. However, that is not the case. In fact, The Wall Street Journal reveals that the FCTC is resistant in products and new technologies that could reduce the effects of smoking.
Harm reduction technologies, such as e-cigarettes and vapes, offer smokers the same pleasure that they could get in a cigarette but with less nicotine and bad effects on a smoker's health.
Vaping has been proven to be effective in lessening tobao use. In the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia, about 10 million people have given up smoking and switching to vaping.
Sticking to Old Rules, Avoiding Accountability
Meanwhile, despite the proven benefits of vaping, the FCTC is intent in not holding accountability by holding secret meetings in Seoul and Moscow in the past years.
However, the current numbers show that their stringency on regulations has no effect on lessening tobacco use; instead, they should show commitment to ban smoking by having an open mind on new technologies that could put a period on smoking.