I am turning the Weekly Update over to Lindsey Stroud, the Director of the Consumer Center at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA). The World Health Organization (WHO) held its ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) as part of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) this week. And, boy, it was a doozy. Lindsey and Martin Cullip (TPA’s International Fellow) hosted multiple livestreams with allies from around the world monitoring what was being said and done at this taxpayer-financed conference. Oh, even though it was funded by taxpayers, it was closed to the media and outside groups. If you aren’t familiar with Lindsey, you need to be. Her depth of knowledge and passion about tobacco harm reduction and other consumer issues is unsurpassed.
COP9 Recap from Consumer Center Director Lindsey Stroud
TPA’s Consumer Center has long advocated adult access to tobacco harm reduction products, such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and oral, smokeless tobacco. Despite the fact some of these goods have decades of science indicating that they are less harmful than combustible cigarettes, governments around the globe remain steadfast in blocking the adult use of novel tobacco harm reduction products.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the WHO’s FCTC Secretariat, which purportedly claims the FCTC treaty is to protect public health, yet only guides countries towards solutions to the tobacco epidemic that revolve around draconian taxation and prohibition.
Every other year, the FCTC arranges COP meetings, with this year’s biannual meeting being postponed from 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of meeting in person, delegates of the parties to the FCTC met virtually over the past week.
The meeting kicked off with a resolution to defer substantive discussion and decisions on novel tobacco products – including e-cigarettes and heated devices – to COP10, which is set to take place in 2023. This kicked off over a day of conversations among the delegates as they languished in debate over the exact wording of the resolution. Ultimately, the delegates agreed to push the discussion to the next COP.
Unlike the UN climate-related COP conferences which are open to the public and stakeholders, the FCTC’s tobacco-related COPs are closed to the public and restrict tobacco manufacturers and consumers from discussions on policies that will ultimately affect their companies and livelihoods.
Besides delegates on behalf of parties, several nongovernmental organizations were included in this year’s COP, including representatives from the Michael Bloomberg-funded Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. A few accredited press members were also permitted to observe the COP sessions, and again, consumer associations were denied observer status, but Bloomberg-backed organizations were accepted without question.
After deferring the main focal point to 2023, the parties then conferred about raising funding for the FCTC, to the tune of $50 million USD. Funding for the FCTC has always been an issue, as parties are not required to allocate funding.
The COP finally ended Friday, November 12 with the announcement that COP10 will be held in 2023 in Panama City, Panama. As the Panamanian Minister for Health delivered their speech, a touristy-like video of Panama played, one of two videos of COP that the public were allowed to see.
There were several interesting takeaways this year. TPA would like to formally thank Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for standing up for tobacco harm reduction and acknowledging that bans lead to harmful consequences. In a recorded speech to the COP, Locsin noted that the Philippines would not support policies that would lead to “extinction by extreme taxation” and pointed out that “[b]ans only drive operators underground and substitute smuggling.” Moreover, Locsin hammered down for a “science-based approach in dealing with the smoking problem.” While the Philippines Department of Health lambasted Locsin for his comments, other Filipino government agencies applauded the secretary, including the Philippine Labor Secretary and leaders of the House of Representatives.
TPA welcomed Locsin’s remarks as we have been following the alarming interference by Bloomberg-funded organizations that have sought to ban tobacco harm reduction products in the Pacific island nation. In December, it was uncovered that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration has received funding from the Bloomberg Initiative. It is refreshing to see that not every government official in the Philippines has been bought off by the billionaire and former mayor.
Over the course of the week, TPA’s Consumer Center hosted livestreams from our Facebook page with notable guests to discuss the latest happening at COP9. Guests included Australian consumer advocate Paul Blamire, Tim Andrews, Director of Consumer Issues at Americans for Tax Reform, Kim “Skip” Murray, a consumer advocate and administrator behind the Safer Nicotine Wiki, Jim McDonald, Editor at Vaping360 and board member at the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA), and Ethan Nadelmann, Founder at the Drug Policy Alliance.
As notable discussion on tobacco harm reduction products were pushed to 2023, TPA will continue to follow the conversations being held among FCTC parties and consumers worldwide.
BLOGS:
Monday: Taxpayer Group Launches Week-Long Campaign Monitoring the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Control Meeting
Tuesday: TPA Continues to Cover COP9
Wednesday: A Tale of Two Wildly Differing UN Treaties
Friday: Watchdog Calls for USPS Reform After $4.9 Billion Loss
MEDIA:
November 5, 2021: I appeared on the Tim Jones Show on KWTO 93.3 FM (Springfield Mo.) to talk about the reconciliation bill.
November 5, 2021: 401KSpecialist mentioned TPA in their article, “Mega Roth IRA Ban Back in Biden Bill, But Not Until 2029.”
November 6, 2021: Townhall.com ran TPA’s op-ed, “World Leaders Ought to Acknowledge Own Carbon Footprints During COP26.”
November 6, 2021: The Livingston Parish News (Denham Springs, La.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “FCC nominee Sohn misguided on net neutrality policy.”
November 8, 2021: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about carbon taxes and the United Nations climate conference.
November 8, 2021: Reason.com quoted TPA in their story, “Amy Klobuchar and Tom Cotton's Big Tech Anti-Monopoly Bill Exempts Their Preferred Firms.”
November 8, 2021: I appeared on the One America News Network to talk about Biden’s plan to raise the Capital Gains tax. infrastructure
November 9, 2021: I appeared on the Tim Jones Show on KWTO 93.3 FM (Springfield Mo.) to talk about the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.
November 9, 2021: WBBF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) quoted TPA in their story, “Infrastructure bill to bring $6 billion to MD, accountability for funds still unclear.”
November 5, 2021: I appeared on the Tim Jones Show on KWTO 93.3 FM (Springfield Mo.) to talk about tax increases and green energy subsidies.
November 9, 2021: I appeared on WBAL 1090 AM (Baltimore, Md.) to talk about infrastructure spending in Maryland.
November 9, 2021: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Sohn likely to make misguided push for taxpayer-funded networks as FCC commissioner.”
November 10, 2021: National Review ran TPA’s op-ed, “This Holiday Season, USPS Should Give the Gift of Customized Postage.”
November 10, 2021: Government Executive mentioned TPA in their story, “Almost 150 Groups Call for Better Whistleblower Protections for Contractors, Grantees.”
November 10, 2021: VP of Policy Patrick Hedger appeared on The Lars Larson Show (National radio) to discuss inflation and the Biden spending plan.
November 11, 2021: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about the United States Postal Service.
November 11, 2021: I appeared on WBOB 600 AM (Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about the reconciliation bill.
November 11, 2021: I appeared on KRC 550 AM (Cincinnati, Ohio) to talk about the United States Postal Service.
November 11, 2021: VP of Policy Patrick Hedger appeared on Fox News @ Night with Shannon Bream on Fox News to discuss inflation and the Biden spending plan.
November 12, 2021: VP of Policy Patrick Hedger appeared on The Chris Stigall Show on 990 AM WNTP (Philadelphia) to discuss inflation and the Biden spending plan.
Have a great weekend!
