COP/MOP

From Monday 17^th till Saturday 22^nd of November, Smoke Free Partnership participated in the 11^th Conference of Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) taking place in Geneva.

This press release presents highlights from SFP’s participation in COP11. Smoke Free Partnership’s perspective on the formal decisions made at COP11 can be found in a separate press release in collaboration with the Comité national contre le tabagisme (CNCT) and Contre-feu.

At the end of the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), held in Geneva from 17 to 22 November 2025, European public health organizations welcome significant progress on several agenda items, including forward-looking measures, strengthening the environmental framework and strengthening the industry's legal accountability mechanisms. This progress has been achieved in a context of persistent interference by the tobacco industry and coordinated attempts to weaken key decisions.

This side event at COP11, taking place on the 18 November 2025, will unpack how the tobacco industry and its front groups misuse the narrative of “Smoke-Free Sweden” to promote nicotine pouches and snus across Europe and globally. Despite industry claims, evidence shows rising use of snus and nicotine pouches in Sweden, particularly among young people and women, and significant dual use with cigarettes. Sweden’s decline in smoking is largely the result of strong tobacco control measures, not a shift to alternative nicotine products.

The event will debunk misleading interpretations of the “Swedish experience,” highlight the real state of play in Sweden, and examine how these tactics are being used to influence EU and global policy. Speakers from Sweden, The United Kingdom, Norway, France, Netherlands, Denmark and Kenya will share challenges and successful approaches in countering industry narratives and regulating nicotine pouches, including insights from countries that have banned or strictly regulated these products.