After fifteen years from the first WHO FCTC, an independent conference with two international expert panel sessions was held on a Virtual Webinar Sessions on September 30th and October 1st 2020. Hosted by Drugs and Alcohol Today Journal editors, Dr. Axel Klein and Dr. Sudhanshu Patwardhan, academics, researchers, and NGO met to discuss crucial questions to achieve more effective and equitable implementation globally.
Panellists to intervene were Prof. Riccardo Polosa, Founder of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR – University of Catania, Italy) and Dr. Derek Yach, President of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.
Dr Yach, former Head of the policy coordination committee at WHO and the first director of the Tobacco Free Initiative, is one of the most prominent advocates for the development of the FCTC until its adoption in March 2003. Prof. Polosa is a tobacco harm reduction advocate, often described as one of the most prolific academic authors in the area of e-cigarettes.
