Interview with Mark Oates for COP11

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties 11 (FCTC COP11) is approaching, and it promises to be the most contentious of the FCTC events yet. A total lack of transparency and the exclusion of harm reduction, industry bodies, and stakeholders come as standard. However, this year, article 4.5 looks like this:

You’ll notice that harm reduction comes in scare quotes. For the zealots within the WHO, reducing harm from smoking is not harm reduction. This assault on language and basic logic is nothing new, but it’s clear evidence that the WHO plans to hamstring the most effective smoking cessation methods, and all behind closed doors.

I caught up with long-time vaping advocate and WeVape director Mark Oates to discuss the WHO, Good COP, the UK delegates’ role at COP11, and a range of other topics, in an effort to make sense of the WHO’s increasingly erratic approach to achieving its smoke-free targets.

1. COP11 is around two months away. What is We Vape focusing on in the run-up?

We’re putting all our energy into making sure UK politicians realise just how high the stakes are. The WHO is openly trying to shut down harm reduction, and unless MPs hear from vapers now, Britain could end up going along with it.

That’s why we launched the Back Vaping campaign. The most effective thing anyone can do today is contact their MP through our website. Every message helps build the pressure that ministers will feel when they head to COP11.

2. How important is it for individual vapers and supporters to get involved?

It’s absolutely vital. Vapers often assume someone else will speak up, but the truth is, politicians only act when their inboxes are full of messages from real constituents.

If you want to continue having access to vaping, which is probably the very tool that got you off cigarettes, you need to tell your MP. Our Back Vaping site makes it simple. It takes two minutes, and it could make all the difference.

3. Looking ahead, how do you see the fight for harm reduction developing in the next year?

This next year is crunch time. The WHO is doubling down on prohibition, while countries like the UK are caught between being a world leader in harm reduction and drifting towards bans and restrictions. Which way we go will depend on whether vapers make themselves heard politically. If MPs get the message now, we stand a chance of defending our approach. If not, we risk sliding backwards.

The tragedy is that the UK already has proof that harm reduction works. Our Swap to Stop scheme is giving smokers free vape kits, and it’s been incredibly successful.

Millions of people here have already quit smoking thanks to vaping, just as Sweden has driven smoking rates down to the lowest in Europe by embracing snus. Japan has seen dramatic results by switching smokers to heated tobacco. These are real-world success stories that the WHO should learn from, not ignore.

4. The emphasis on FCTC Article 5.2(b) looks ominous. What do you think this signals about the WHO’s intent?

It’s a sign the WHO wants to shut ordinary people out of the conversation entirely. Article 5.2(b) is being used to block consumers, independent scientists, and even MPs from challenging the anti-vaping agenda. That’s exactly why political pressure at home is so significant. If vapers want their voice heard, it won’t be through the WHO; it has to be through their MP.

5. The UK delegation hasn’t yet been publicly announced. Are you hopeful about who will represent the UK, and what difference could it make?

There’s always hope, but it depends on who ministers send and what instructions they’re given. A strong UK delegation could push back hard against prohibitionist voices, but it’ll only do so if it knows it matters to the people it represents.

The UK should be proud of its record. We’ve helped millions quit smoking through vaping, and the Swap to Stop scheme is a world first. If we lead with that message at COP11, other countries could follow our example. That’s why every vaper contacting their MP through Back Vaping right now is so important.

6. If you could change one thing about COP11, what would it be?

I’d put consumers at the table. Smokers and vapers are the people most affected, yet they’re completely excluded from the process. Until that changes, the only way to make sure their interests are represented is to flood MPs with messages. Politicians can ignore overpaid tobacco control lobbyists, but they can’t ignore their own voters.

7. Will you be at Good COP?

Yes, I’ll be there as much as family and work allow, and I’ve been asked to speak on a panel. Good COP matters because it gives vapers a platform to speak when the WHO refuses to listen. But again, the real battle isn’t just about conferences, it’s about political pressure back home.

8. Who are you most looking forward to hearing from at Good COP?

The consumers. Too often, their voices are drowned out by campaigners and officials who’ve never struggled with smoking themselves. Good COP is a reminder that vapers are real people whose lives have been saved by harm reduction. When you look at the UK’s success, Sweden’s smoke-free achievement, and Japan’s rapid shift to heated tobacco, the evidence is overwhelming. These are the voices and the results MPs need to hear about through the Back Vaping campaign.

So there you have it. While COP11 is intentionally designed to keep smokers and vapers away from the discussions and decisions that affect them most, all is not lost. While sniping from the sidelines is fun, it has limited impact.

As Mark suggests, the only way to get a seat at the FCTC table is via the UK government delegates. People need to have their voices heard collectively, and one of the primary avenues available is through their MPs. Click here to get involved with the Back Vaping, Save Lives campaign to let your MP know why vaping is a crucial harm reduction tool in the battle to reduce smoking.