By Phil Hudson, Co-Founder & Associate Director @ GINN UK POLICY SHIFT: DISPOSABLE VAPES OUT, RESPONSIBILITY IN On 1 June 2025, the UK initiated a transformative public health and environmental move, the full-scale ban on disposable vapes.Targeting youth usage and the 5million+ weekly waste burden, the law now mandates sales of reusable devices only, with…
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024 (GSTHR) delivers one of the clearest pictures to date of where the world stands in its efforts to reduce smoking-related death and disease through safer nicotine products (SNPs). As the report reveals, the momentum for harm reduction is growing—but so too are the policy obstacles, misconceptions, and…
In 2025, Kenya became one of the first African countries to implement a fully integrated legal framework for regulating nicotine pouches. The government’s robust approach has aligned nicotine pouches with conventional tobacco products under national health law, closing critical loopholes and signaling a significant shift in the country’s public health policy. The newly gazetted rules,…
Nicotine pouches have emerged as a key innovation in the fight against smoking-related disease—offering a clean, discreet, and combustion-free option for adults seeking to quit cigarettes. Yet despite their potential, one group remains consistently underserved: low-income communities. These are the very populations most affected by smoking-related harm, and yet they are often the last to…
Spain is quickly becoming a focal point in the broader European debate over nicotine pouches. While EU institutions weigh broader harm reduction strategies, Spain has taken a more cautious—and in some cases, restrictive—approach to regulating these alternatives. GINN recently held a regional engagement in Spain to better understand the local regulatory landscape, meet with policymakers…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed its call for a global ban on flavored nicotine products—a move that continues to raise concerns among harm reduction advocates, public health professionals, and adult consumers who rely on these products to quit smoking. At GINN, we recognize the critical need to protect youth. But we also believe…
A leaked internal report from the European Commission has raised urgent questions about the EU’s proposed overhaul of the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED). While the stated goals—reducing smoking and boosting revenue—may be well-intentioned, the Commission’s own analysis warns that sweeping tax hikes could have serious unintended consequences. From soaring excise increases to mounting black market…
By Joel Rubenstein, GINN Focal Point Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) was born not out of global health ambition—but naval necessity. In the 1960s, Swedish submariners needed a smoke-free and spit-free way to consume nicotine underwater. The solution was nicotine gum—commissioned by the Swedish Navy and developed by local pharmaceutical companies. What started as a practical…
Several European Union Member States have formally called on the European Commission to introduce stricter regulation of vaping products and emerging nicotine alternatives. This coordinated initiative reflects growing concern among national governments about rising youth experimentation and the evolving nicotine product landscape. It also signals that the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and…
Balancing Harm Reduction and Public Health in the Global Nicotine Dialogue As policymakers prepare for the WHO’s 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the question of whether to ban flavours in nicotine pouches and other reduced-risk products is front and center. While the WHO frames flavours as…