News Americas, GENEVA, Nov. 03, 2025: A light show protest projected on the COP11 venue by the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has drawn attention to the misinformation threatening harm reduction policies in Caribbean countries. The protest shines a spotlight on the lack of consumer voices and the outdated tobacco control strategies backed by the WHO that could harm smokers looking for less harmful alternatives.
Michael Landl, WVA Director, emphasized that: “The WHO remains trapped in an echo chamber of anti-science thinking that ignores the realities faced by nicotine consumers. Misinformation and fearmongering are driving policies that deny less harmful alternatives to smoking, putting public health at risk. Our protest demands that consumers’ voices be heard and their rights protected.”
Many Caribbean nations risk being overlooked in global discussions dominated by powerful interests. The WHO’s planned bans on flavoured vaping products, nicotine limits, and heavy taxes disregard scientific evidence showing alternatives like vaping and nicotine pouches offer far less harm than smoking, and help smokers quit.
Caribbean countries can take the lead at COP11 by advocating for evidence-based policies that reject blanket bans and misinformation. Embracing harm reduction is critical for public health progress in the Caribbean and globally.
The WVA’s “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter” campaign encourages Caribbean governments to resist one-size-fits-all bans, demand transparency, and ensure that adult consumers have a meaningful voice in shaping tobacco control policies that affect their lives. COP11 will take place in Geneva from November 17 to 22.