The eleventh meeting of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation

13 – 15 December 2022
Tbilisi, Georgia

The eleventh meeting of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) provided a forum for scientists to deliberate on and update knowledge on pertinent issues related to the regulation of nicotine and tobacco products. The meeting focused specifically on emerging issues, such as the use of synthetic nicotine in nicotine and tobacco products and nicotine pouches and other topics based on requests to the Conference of Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) at various sessions. The following background papers informed the meeting:

  • Additives that facilitate inhalation, including cooling agents, nicotine salts and flavourings.
  • Synthetic nicotine: science, global legal landscape and regulatory considerations.
  • Nicotine pouches: characteristics, use, harmfulness and regulation.
  • Biomarkers of exposure, effect and susceptibility for assessing electronic nicotine delivery devices and heated tobacco products, and their possible prioritization.
  • Internet, influencer and social media marketing of tobacco and nontherapeutic nicotine products and associated regulatory considerations.
  • The WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation: two decades of recommendations – translating evidence into policy action.

It was a closed working group meeting for WHO TobReg members, WHO staff, the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC and invited experts. The resulting TobReg recommendations were compiled into the 9th technical report series (TRS) of the study group, which were presented to the WHO Executive Board at its 153rd session. The recommendations of the report, will guide Member States in achieving the most effective and evidence-based means to bridge regulatory gaps in tobacco control, develop coordinated regulatory framework for tobacco products, guide international policy and provide access to scientific information.

The eleventh meeting of TobReg took place in Tbilisi, Georgia from 13 - 15 December 2022 and was generously hosted by the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health and organized by the WHO.