Liza Katsiashvili
Something out of the ordinary was noticed at the WHO’s COP11 venue last week in Geneva. A light show illuminated the building’s walls, urging consumers to be part of the global tobacco control dialogue. The message was clear: the WHO cannot claim to fight for public health while excluding the very people whose lives are at stake.
What’s happening? As COP11 approaches (November 17–22), the WHO and national delegates will meet to decide on tobacco control measures that will affect millions of smokers worldwide, including those across the Caribbean. While the aim of reducing smoking rates is noble, the question raised by the World Vapers’ Alliance’s light projection is unavoidable: how can the WHO achieve positive change while silencing those most affected, the consumers themselves?
The “quit or die” approach has failed everywhere. According to the WHO’s own data, smoking kills over 8 million people each year. Yet, instead of embracing harm reduction strategies that have been proven to save lives, many policymakers cling to outdated, prohibitionist ideas. Substituting deadly combustion with less harmful nicotine alternatives, such as vaping and nicotine pouches, offers smokers a potential path away from smoking-related illnesses.
Why does this matter for Barbados and the Caribbean? While much of the agenda is shaped by powerful interests in larger countries, smaller nations like Barbados have the opportunity, and responsibility, to speak up for their citizens. Caribbean policymakers can call for evidence-based regulation that reflects local realities rather than imported ideology. Including consumers in the conversation means making space for real-life experience, for stories of those who successfully quit smoking through harm reduction, stories that too often go unheard.
Banning or restricting less harmful alternatives would only drive consumers back to cigarettes or into illicit markets. Instead, countries like Barbados can lead by example, adopting pragmatic, life-saving approaches that empower individuals rather than stigmatise and punish them.
The light show in Geneva should remind us that millions of people are ready to be part of the solution. As COP11 begins, let’s ensure that Caribbean voices, especially those of consumers, are no longer ignored.
