Sixth meeting of the WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network

9 – 11 May 2016
Netherlands

Overview

The WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network (TobLabNet), a global network of government, academic, and independent laboratories, aims to strengthen national and regional capacity for the testing and research of the contents and emissions of tobacco products. The sixth meeting of TobLabNet will be convened on 9-11 May 2016 in Maastricht, Netherlands. The meeting will discuss the results of the last seven years of global validation work. This is a closed meeting for members of TobLabNet, the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), a few representatives of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation, invited experts, and the Tobacco Free Initiative under the WHO Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases Department.

The Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC, at their 3rd session in 2008, requested WHO to validate the analytical chemical methods for testing and measuring the cigarette contents (nicotine, ammonia, humectants) and emissions (tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO), aldehydes, benzo[a]pyrene (Bap), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)).

WHO has published the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for TNCO, Nicotine, TSNA and BaP. The SOPs for Humectants and Ammonia will be available soon, while validations of VOCs and Aldehydes are ongoing. The agenda for this meeting includes the following:

  • Validation studies and results
  • The application of standard operating procedures and laboratory needs
  • Requests from the Conference of the Parties on smokeless and waterpipe tobacco
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)
  • Design features that may influence the emissions of tobacco products
  • Possible joint activities to further support collaboration and evidence-building by TobLabNet for product regulation worldwide
  • The sources, fate and risks of aldehydes produced during tobacco smoking

This meeting is generously hosted by Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Office of Risk Assessment and Maastricht University, Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology.