Are “heat-not-burn” devices a safer way to use tobacco, or just a new package for an old problem? The World Health Organization (WHO) is weighing in with a clear message for global health authorities: heated tobacco products (HTPs) are tobacco products, period.
This clarification comes in the wake of a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding IQOS, a popular HTP. While the FDA’s move may have been interpreted by some as a step toward classifying these products differently, the WHO is reasserting its position. It reminds its member states that HTPs fall fully under the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international treaty negotiated under the WHO’s auspices.
Specifically, the WHO points to Article 13.4(a) of the convention. This article obligates participating countries to prohibit any and all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship that could be false, misleading, or create a mistaken impression about a product's health effects or hazards.
The WHO’s statement serves as a global caution against marketing that might position HTPs as a reduced-risk product. By emphasizing that the FCTC applies in its entirety, the organization is signaling that these newer devices should be subject to the same stringent controls as traditional cigarettes, including bans on deceptive advertising.
Why This Matters for Digital Health
For patients and providers using telehealth platforms like Medicup, this guidance is critical. As new tobacco products enter the market, patients often turn to their doctors for clarity on the real health risks involved. The WHO's firm stance provides healthcare professionals with a strong, evidence-based foundation for counseling patients who may be curious about or already using HTPs.
Accurate information is the cornerstone of effective healthcare. By cutting through the marketing noise, the WHO’s directive helps ensure that conversations about tobacco use—whether on a video call or in an office—are grounded in established public health principles, not in potentially misleading promotional claims.
Source: World Health Organization