What is the
Global Forum on Nicotine?
First held in Warsaw in 2014, the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) is the only international conference to focus on the role of safer nicotine products that help people switch from smoking.
This is a rapidly evolving area, with many new non-combustible products emerging over the past ten to fifteen years. The conference examines the rapidly developing science in relation to nicotine and its use, as well as assessing the policy landscape and regulatory responses.
Building a Global Community
GFN brings together a unique mix of voices from across the globe
Consumers & advocates
Policy analysts
Manufacturers & distributors
Academics & researchers
Media representatives
Parliamentarians & officials
Public health experts
Reaching new heights
At peak before the Covid pandemic, the number of participants was over 600 in person, representing 80+ countries, with others watching online, via a bespoke viewing platform, supported by simultaneous translation into languages other than English.
600+
Participants
80+
Countries
Livestream
with real time translations
What we stand for
Whilst GFN has evolved, the core principles have remained unchanged
Science driven
The programme has always been driven by science, evidence and best practice in tobacco harm reduction, challenging often hostile and ill-informed narratives about SNP
Inclusive
GFN is inclusive with speakers, panellists and hosts selected to represent all stakeholders, and nobody is excluded from participating in the events.
Consumers at heart
Consumers/consumer advocates are recognised as key stakeholders, and we work to support a robust presence at GFN
Diverse perspectives
We recognise the importance of cultural and regional perspectives and attempt to ensure diverse representation in the programme
Relevant themes
The theme for each conference seeks to capture the key issues live at the time, whilst always taking stock of positive and negative developments in the preceding 12 months.
Each Year, a New Focus
The programme for each event is developed and managed by the conference directors, with advice and input from stakeholders. A full archive from past editions, including videos of sessions, can be found here.
"Prohibition and Public Health"
The debate is shifting, and safer nicotine products are increasingly conflated with smoked tobacco. We will examine the economic, health and social costs of this and look again at what appropriate and sensible measures might look like.
"Challenging Perceptions – Effective Communication for Tobacco Harm Reduction"
Safer nicotine products continue to challenge the dominance of the combustible cigarette - with huge potential impacts for global public health.
"Economics, Health and Tobacco Harm Reduction"
Designed to examine the overlap and relative impacts of economics and health in relation to the advancement of tobacco harm reduction.
Beyond the Conference
GFN·TV is a free to access internet station providing news and in-depth interviews on a weekly basis, covering all things nicotine.
Established in March 2022, in order to provide content and keep discussion and debate alive in the gaps between the formal conferences. Working in conjunction with Regulator Watch and Filter Magazine, it produces weekly broadcasts that include news items from around the globe, as well as in-depth interviews with thought-leaders in the field of tobacco harm reduction. All content is archived and is available on a dedicated YouTube channel, which also carries highlights from GFN conferences and events.
The Nicotine Science and Policy (NSP) website and daily alerts, where subscribers can keep abreast of global developments, once again free of charge
A service for which it is free to register and offers a digest of news and opinion/blogs on all matters nicotine. The website is updated each day with new material and links. In addition, subscribers receive a daily e-mail with highlights, including new content from GFN·TV.
GFN Dialogues
GFN Dialogues are events which are smaller and more focussed than the annual GFN. They are free to attend and often delivered in partnership with other organisations, providing another way to get the THR message across.