GFN News

Despite low female smoking rates in the country, women face unique, hidden challenges when trying to access safer nicotine alternatives. Hannah shares her personal and professional motivations for bringing these voices to light , highlighting the critical gaps in policy, education, and market regulation that leave Malawian women behind.

Twenty years after the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force, has the treaty lost its way? According to Jeannie Cameron, the answer is yes. Cameron is a tobacco policy expert with a background in international law who observed the FCTC negotiations from the beginning. She says a treaty once focused on reducing smoking-related disease has morphed into a global system hostile...

In this episode of GFN News, we sit down with Kurt Yeo to discuss the launch of THR Global, a new platform designed to bridge the gap between personal experience and policy-grade evidence. Kurt shares his powerful "Building Block" analogy, explaining why a "giant bag" of random testimonials often fails to move the needle. By extracting specific data points - like smoking history, failed quit attem...

Miguel Garcia, the founder of THR News, breaks down the critical state of tobacco harm reduction (THR) in Mexico. Facing a "rain of disinformation" and a constitutional prohibition on vaping, Miguel explains why providing evidence-based information is more than a choice - it's a necessity for public health.

Today we explore the rise of harm reduction across the Middle East and North Africa through the story of MENAHRA and the activists, healthcare workers, and organizations fighting stigma, HIV, and outdated drug policies. In regions where addiction and public health issues are often heavily stigmatized, harm reduction became more than healthcare — it became a movement for human rights and survival.

For too long, the voices of nicotine consumers have been sidelined, silenced, or willfully excluded from the global policy stage. From WHO COP meetings to local regulations, the people most impacted by these decisions are often the only ones without a seat at the table. In this episode of GFN News, Zuzanna Kopacz speaks with Will Godfrey, Editor of Filter, about the launch of THR Global. This new...

In a years-long campaign to eradicate smoking, Australia’s tobacco control establishment has lost all control of the nicotine market. Former law enforcement officer Rohan Pike says 70–80% of the tobacco market is now illicit, while roughly 95% of vaping has been pushed into criminal hands. The founder of Australia’s first Tobacco Strike Team explains how excessive taxes, vape prohibition, and poli...

In this episode of GFN Insights, we sit down with Marceline Akinyi to discuss the complex landscape of nicotine education and public health in Kenya. As the country faces a wave of product bans, Marceline highlights a dangerous gap between academic research and public understanding.

In this episode of GFN Insights, Jon Derricott from Knowledge Action Change (KAC) joins Joanna Junak to discuss the development of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) image library. Hosted on Flickr, this unique initiative aims to document the rapidly evolving world of tobacco and nicotine products. From modern vape shops to traditional tobacconists and local products like gutka or...

One of the world’s leading harm reduction advocates sees disaster unfolding in Australia. Sky-high tobacco taxes and sweeping restrictions on nicotine vaping were meant to reduce harm—but instead, they’ve fueled a booming illicit market, siphoned billions in public revenue, and triggered a wave of violence tied to organized crime. In this GFN Interviews, Dr. Alex Wodak explains how Australia’s app...

In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak sits down with Will Godfrey, Executive Editor of Filter, to dissect the latest findings from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). While public health agencies have long warned of a youth vaping "epidemic," the actual data reveals a startling and positive trend that many organizations seem reluctant to celebrate. In this interview, we cover: - The Reco...

Is the EU ignoring the most effective tool to end smoking? In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak sits down with renowned physician and public health researcher Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos to discuss his latest review on nicotine pouches. As smoking rates across the globe remain a primary public health concern, Dr. Farsalinos argues that we are overlooking a "promising harm-reduction option" th...

Is the UK at a "regulatory crossroads"? As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill moves toward Royal Assent, a new government consultation threatens to legally ban vaping in all indoor spaces where smoking is already prohibited. In this interview, Bernice Evans, Chair of the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA), joins us to discuss the launch of the "Save Vaping" campaign. We dive deep into why treating vaping the sam...

Australia’s vape crackdown was supposed to curb youth use—but in practice, it has created prohibition by proxy. While still legal, access to nicotine vapes is tightly controlled and choice is so severely limited that over 90% of all vapes in Australia are purchased on the black market. In this episode of GFN Interviews, Australian GP Dr. Carolyn Beaumont examines how this system frustrates access...

In this episode of the Science Series, Roberto Sussman breaks down why many lab studies on e‑cigarette emissions can’t be trusted—and how bad testing setups can create misleading “high toxin” results. He explains the “optimal regime” for vaping devices (power, resistance, airflow), why reproducibility requires full reporting of test conditions, and how unrealistic puffing machines can cause overhe...

“Why have some studies reported enormous amounts of formaldehyde and metals in vaping emissions?” In this episode of Science Series with Roberto Sussman, we break down how those scary numbers can come from bad experimental conditions—especially overheating setups that don’t reflect how people actually vape. Roberto explains why “micrograms per puff” can be misleading, how to translate emissions in...

Governments insist their nicotine policies are “evidence-based.” But a closer look reveals cherry-picked findings, flawed comparisons, and sensational claims that don’t withstand scrutiny. In this GFN interviews, independent tobacco scientist Dr. Ian Fearon explains how weak research and distorted interpretations shape global nicotine policy. From the misuse of correlation to media amplification o...

In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak speaks with Will Godfrey of Filter about Germany’s proposed regulation to ban flavoured e-liquids containing cooling agents. The draft measure would prohibit menthol and other “iced” vape products that rely on cooling additives. Supporters of the proposal, including Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, argue that cooling effects may make vaping...

#GFN25 Science Discussion #17 | How to Avoid Pitfalls in Observational E-Cigarette Health Research by GFN.TV

In this episode, we unpack the hidden environmental cost of vaping - from millions of discarded devices and batteries to ecosystem contamination - and why awareness isn’t translating into action. The conversation highlights a major gap: many users recognize the harm, but far fewer know how (or where) to recycle, and only a minority actually do. We also explore what could change the outcome: cleare...

In this GFN News interview, Aylen Van Isseldyk (creator of the global research project Circular Vape Recycling) explains the hidden environmental impact of vaping devices—from hard-to-degrade plastics and lithium batteries to the structural barriers that make e-cigarette recycling so difficult. ​ We also discuss why awareness alone isn’t enough, what manufacturers and institutions can do (eco-desi...

Join us at the Global Forum on Nicotine 2026 in Warsaw and be part of the only truly open conference on safer nicotine, tobacco harm reduction and the real impacts of prohibition on public health. Hear leading scientists, clinicians, ethicists and advocates discuss social, health and economic consequences of bans, explore strategies to reach marginalized groups, and discover the latest research in...

Public health says it wants to end smoking. Yet from London to Brussels, policymakers are advancing measures that treat safer nicotine like combustible tobacco—through high taxes, public bans, and regulatory equalization. In the UK, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill hands sweeping powers to the Secretary of State. In the EU, new tax schemes could bind member states and redirect national excise revenue to...

UK disposable vape ban: what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what’s next? In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak speaks with John Dunne (UK Vaping Industry Association) about how the market is responding to new regulation - rising black market activity, the shift from disposables to pod/open-tank systems, and why consumer behavior (including recycling) is still a challenge. They also address public...

#GFN25 Science Discussion #16 | Use Studies Demonstrating the Significant THR Potential of blu Vapes by GFN.TV