Global Forum on Nicotine
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Note: The Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) should not be confused with the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF), an annual tobacco industry event.
Background
The Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) is an event for those with an interest in newer nicotine and tobacco products, and ‘tobacco harm reduction’. The GFN website states that “GFN examines the rapidly developing science in relation to nicotine and its use, including policy and regulatory responses.”1
The event is described by its organizers as:2
“a platform to share knowledge and discuss both the opportunities and challenges of safer nicotine use. The conference is and has always been open to everyone with a stake in tobacco harm reduction – including consumers, policymakers, regulators, scientists, researchers, and manufacturers.”
It has been held annually since 2014, usually in mid-June in Warsaw, Poland. The 2020 conference took place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic,3 while the 2021 conference took place in Liverpool, England.4 Since the COVID 19 pandemic, participates have the option to join either in person or online.2
The event features presentations, discussion panels, a film festival, and workshops.2 The theme for the 2025 event is “Challenging Perceptions – Effective Communication for Tobacco Harm Reduction”.5
Relationship with the Tobacco Industry
The GFN declares that it does not accept tobacco industry funding. The conference website states that it: “is funded by registration fees and does not receive any sponsorship from manufacturers, distributors or retailers of nicotine products including pharmaceutical, vaping (e-cigarette) and tobacco companies.”16
Speakers
By supporting and facilitating dialogue with the tobacco industry, the GFN event has provided a platform for the tobacco industry to promote its role in tobacco harm reduction and its own products.7 While initially GFN was attended by a number of representatives from tobacco control organisations, e-cigarette producers and those who promote the role of commercial nicotine products, increasingly it has become a forum for tobacco companies and linked organisations.2489 Regular attendees include representatives from British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI, also represented as Swedish Match), Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Altria.
GFN is also linked to the industry-funded ISoNTech event which was held alongside GFN until 2025 (see below). In 2026 ISoNTech was re-branded as the Nicotine Innovation Expo (see below).
In 2024, GFN introduced ‘Science Lab’ sessions. In the first session, Ian Jones, Vice President of the Research and Development (R&D) Scientific Product Assessment Center at Japan Tobacco International (JTI), hosted the session alongside other speakers, including employees from other transnational tobacco companies (TTCs).2
The table below summarises the contributions from tobacco companies:
Philip Morris International
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 202610 | Senior Manager of Real-World Evidence and Data Science | Presentation | “Understanding Product Use Transitions in Underage and Adult Populations” |
| Director of Scientific Information | Presentation | Impact of heated tobacco products (HTPs) | |
| Head of Regulatory Policy (Europe) | Round table | EU Tobacco Products Directive and its “implications for tobacco harm reduction” | |
| Scientific Writer in Product Science and Research at Swedish Match (acquired by PMI in 2022) | Presentation | “Bridging the Epidemiological Evidence from Snus to Nicotine Pouches” | |
| 202511
|
Vice President of Global Scientific Engagement | Presentation | Science lab on “Misunderstanding nicotine delivery: a discussion on nicotine pouches” |
| Senior Advisor, Regulatory Policy & Director, US | Workshop | Use of flavours in nicotine products | |
| Vice President International Communications and Engagements | Round Table | “Media, misinformation and public health” | |
| Director Public Affairs for Swedish Match | Panel discussion | “Nicotine pouches – What’s the real story?” | |
| 202412 | Vice President of Global Scientific Engagement | Round table | “Rating the evidence – good and bad science.” |
| 202313 | Global Head of Regulatory Policy | Workshop | Global regulation |
| 201771415 | Vice President Reduced Risk Products Corporate Affairs | Presentation | Heated tobacco products (HTPs) |
| Manager Reduced Risk Products | Presentation | HTPs | |
| 201516 | Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs | Presentation | “Assessment of the tobacco heating system (THS) 2.2” |
Japan Tobacco International
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 202511 | Science Engagement Director | Host | Science lab on “lab-based research, epidemiological research, modelling, market research” |
| 20241217 | R&D Scientific Product Assessment Center Vice President | Host | Science lab |
| Science Engagement Director | Host | Presented slides on the indoor air quality of HTPs | |
| Member of the scientific and regulatory affairs team | Presentation | Consequences of tobacco regulation policies |
Altria
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 202610 | Scientific lead regulatory affairs | Workshop | “Do Smoke-Free Product/Flavour Bans Work?” |
| 202511 | Director of Regulatory Sciences | Workshop | “Can We Stop Discussing And Focus On Action? – Delphi Approach To Correct Nicotine And Relative Risk Misperceptions” |
| Senior Director, Population Science | Workshop | Flavours | |
| 201818 | Senior Principal Research Scientist | Presentation | Breath levels from use of e-vapor products; nicotine pharmacokinetics; assessment of smokeless tobacco products |
| Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs, Altria Client Services | Panel Debate | “Rethinking Nicotine…” |
*JUUL Labs (part-owned by Altria at the time) also presented.48
British American Tobacco
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 202610
|
Senior Manager Scientific Engagement | Presentation | Science lab on “Challenges for Better Regulations” |
| Head of Tobacco Harm Reduction Sciences | Presentation | “Oral Health and Nicotine Products: Evaluating Risk Across a Continuum” | |
| Head of EU Regulatory Strategy | Round table | EU TPD | |
| 20251119 | Group Head of Life Sciences | Presentation | Science lab on oral nicotine products |
| Global Medical Safety Officer | Workshop | Tobacco harm reduction (THR) | |
| Head of Scientific Regulation | Panel Discussion | “Evaluating WHO Tobacco Harm Reduction Science” | |
| 202412 | Science Engagement Specialist | Presentation | “Over/Misinterpretation Of The Precautionary Principle In Relation To Safer Nicotine.” |
| 202313 | Head of Scientific Regulatory Engagement | Panel discussion | “Ten Years of Science: What Have We Learned?” Advocated for HTPs, citing BAT research |
| 2021/202248
|
Head of Global Regulatory Insights and Foresights | Panel discussion | Panel on “Tobacco Industry Transformation: Myth or Reality?”; Four submissions on “New Category Products”, HTPs and an “Introduction to Tobacco Harm Reduction” |
| Head of Scientific Collaboration and Communication | Commentary/Presentation | Tobacco censorship, perceptions of nicotine | |
| 2017720 18 | Scientific Director, David O’Reilly | Panel discussion | “Nicotine Futures: the tobacco industry and public health” |
| Medical Doctor (Sudhanshu Patwardhan. See also the Centre for Health Research and Education) | Presentation | “consumer insights and product implications” | |
| 201621 | Chief Scientific Officer and Group Head of Scientific Product Stewardship, Christopher J. Proctor | Panel discussion | “Evidence, Accountability, Transparency – whose science counts?” |
Imperial Brands
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 202610
|
Corporate Affairs Manager | Round table | EU TPD |
| Scientific Substantiation and Engagement Lead | Presentation | “Debunking The Science Used To Support Prohibition” | |
| Group Science and Regulatory Affairs Director | Panel discussion | “The Real Costs of Prohibition” | |
| Global Head of Harm Reduction & Engagement | Presentation | Science lab on the “…Potential Impact of Novel Tobacco and Nicotine Products on Cardiovascular Health | |
| 202511
|
Scientific Affairs and Behavioural Sciences | Presentation | Science lab on tobacco harm reduction |
| Global Head of Harm Reduction & Engagement | Panel discussion | “Tobacco Harm Reduction Science” | |
| Chief Corporate Affairs Officer | Panel discussion | “Innovation and Regulation” | |
| 2023/2024131222 | Group Science & Regulatory Affairs Director | Panel discussion | “Tobacco harm reduction – the next decade” and “Legislation and regulation – health and economic consequences” |
| 2021232425 | Heated Tobacco Science Manager | Presentation | “PULZE: State of the Heated Tobacco Science” |
Swedish Match (before PMI acquisition)
| Year | Employee | Activity | Description |
| 2017726 | Director Public Affairs | Presentation | Criticising EU tobacco regulation that bans snus sales |
| 201621 | Panel discussion | US regulatory affairs panel on “applying for modified risk status” |
Links to FSFW/GAES
The GFN is organised by Global Forum on Nicotine Limited,27 which was known as KAC Communications until November 2024.28 This is registered as a legally separate entity from Knowledge-Action-Change (K-A-C).2930 K-A-C is funded by Global Action to End Smoking (GAES), formerly known as the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), a grant-giving nonprofit foundation funded entirely by Philip Morris International (PMI).
In recent GFN event programmes, KAC Communications has been described as a “sister company” of K-A-C.313233 However, in the earlier GFN conferences, the distinction between K-A-C and KAC Communications is less clear. The programme for the first event in 2014 states clearly that the organiser was K-A-C,34 and K-A-C branding appears on the programmes for the GFN 2016 and 2017.3536
Moreover, while Global Forum on Nicotine Limited and K-A-C are registered as legally separate entities, they are incorporated at the same London address,2930 and they share the same directors. Of the five people listed as current or former directors of Global Forum on Nicotine Limited, four have also been listed as directors of K-A-C, all of whom have been directors of both companies at the same time.2930
FSFW/GAES has provided a number of grants to individuals and organisations who are actively engaged with GFN, including:23738
- Cliff Douglas, served president and CEO of GAES until June 2025, delivered a keynote address in 2024 titled “Bridging the Divide: Taking Global Action to End Smoking”
- Derek Yach, founder and president of FSFW until October 2021, gave the keynote address at the 2015 event
- GFN organiser Knowledge-Action-Change (K-A-C) has received various grants from the Foundation to carry out promotional events and commission reports
- Dr Rajesh Sharan, who sits on the GFN organising committee, is a trustee of an organisation that has received funding to set up a Centre of Excellence in India
- Dr Marewa Glover, who sits on the GFN organising committee, runs a company which received funding to set up a Centre of Excellence in New Zealand
- Ricardo Polosa is one of three members of the University of Catania involved with the GFN. A spin off from the Italian university, headed by Polosa, has received funding from FSFW/GAES to set up a Centre of Excellence
Scholarship Programme
K-A-C and the GFN jointly launched a Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme (THRSP) in 2018, which was sponsored by FSFW.39 The programme has continued every year since, with funding solely from FSFW/GAES.40414243
K-A-C state that the sponsorship programme was launched with five aims40:
- Increase research and practice capacity in tobacco harm reduction
- Expand the evidence-base for new technologies and products, which contribute to reducing smoking and improving both individual and population health
- Introduce new thinkers, new ideas and new methods to tobacco harm reduction
- Improve risk communication, through the use of social media and new technologies Disseminate information, particularly to isolated groups and communities
- Target locations and populations where current activities and resources are limited, especially in low and middle-income countries where the need to build capacity is greatest
The scholarship Prospectus states:
“Despite there being strong evidence for the effectiveness of a THR [tobacco harm reduction] approach, public understanding of the evidence base and its implications for both policy and personal health choices is limited. This is often not helped by sensationalist and inaccurate reporting in the media…The scholarship programme aims to redress this imbalance”44
A number of the scholarship winners have appeared on panels at GFN.6482
Media Partners
GFN Ltd (previously K-A-C Communications) produces GFN•TV.1
The GFN website list of media partners includes the publication Filter, which is owned by the industry-funded Influence Foundation.45 As of 2026, media partners included Clearing the Air, linked to the industry-funded Consumer Choice Centre, and Snusforumet which is supported by the Swedish Snus Manufacturers (See also Snus Commission). Publications from media partners feature in the “Media Center 2026” webpage. 46
Aaron Biebert curates the GFN film festival. His company was commissioned to launch FSFW.47
Programme Committee
Robyn Gougelet, Senior Associate at consultancy Pinney Associates, was a member of the GFN 2018 and 2019 Programme Committee.3848 BAT subsidiary Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) paid Pinney Associates for tobacco harm reduction consultancy from 2015 to 2019.4950
Since October 2024, it has also consulted for PMI.
- See Pinney Associates for more details.
Nicotine Innovation Expo
In 2026 GFN introduced the Nicotine Innovation Expo in replacement of ISoNTech (see below)51 While ISoNtech featured as a separate event, the Nicotine Innovation Expo webpage appears on the GFN website as a part of the Forum.
ISoNTech
From 2017 to 2025, GFN took place alongside the International Symposium on Nicotine Technology (ISoNTech),52 which is part-funded by tobacco companies. ISoNTech was a parallel event for the tobacco and nicotine industries to showcase their newer products, and promote them to GFN attendees who can attend ISoNTech for free, and have the opportunity to engage in informal discussions with industry representatives.53
ISoNTech and GFN are presented as two separate events. However, the registrant of the ISoNTech domain in 2018 was given as K-A-C,54 while the same year KAC Communications branding appeared on the ISoNTech website.55 In late 2024, the terms and conditions on the ISoNTech website indicated that the organiser of ISoNTech was K-A-C,56 though by March 2025 this had been amended to Global Forum on Nicotine Limited (formerly KAC Communications).57
In 2020, it was reported that Benjamin Petrzilka, external affairs manager at BAT Switzerland, was actively promoting the forum to journalists, claiming that this is the only international conference to focus on the role of “reduced risk” nicotine products.58
At ISoNTech 2024, Mattia De Dominicis and Paul Ellis from Imperial Brands positioned the company as a major contributor to public health by highlighting the potential benefits of Imperial’s newer products.37 Although ISoNTech does not appear in the official GFN 2025 event programme 59 the ISoNTech website confirms that the event was held alongside GFN 2025.53. The website for ISoNTech in 2025 stated: “Following the success of ISoNTech during #GFN17, #GFN18, #GFN19 and #GFN22, #GFN23, and #GFN24, the organisers are delighted to offer similar opportunities alongside #GFN25. Developers, manufacturers and distributors are invited to demonstrate new products and discuss their design and development.”53
Image 1: ISoNTech floorplan 13 June 2024.60
Image 1 shows the ISoNTech Floorplan from 13 June 2024, which illustrates that the exhibition area was occupied by multinational tobacco corporations, notably PMI, BAT, JTI, and Imperial Brands. The size and arrangement of the exhibition stands on the floorplan imply that each tobacco company paid for the £7000 ISoNTech Premium package. Premium packages offered companies a speaker slot on the main stage, a larger exhibition stand, and two registrations to GFN. Other companies with ISoNTech exhibition stands included RJ Reynolds (owned by BAT) and Swedish Match.61 A similar arrangement was advertised in 2022, with ISoNTech’s website promising clients that “the exhibition stand will be displayed throughout GFN22”.52
Speakers and Panellists
Among the most frequent keynote speakers at GFN events are:
- Alex Wodak, founder and board member of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA)
- Delon Human, founder of Health Diplomats
- Gerry Stimson, co-founder of Knowledge-Action-Change (K-A-C)
- Helen Redmond, writer and editor for Filter magazine, which is owned by The Influence Foundation
- Marewa Glover, director of the Centre for Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty and Smoking (COREISS)
- Martin Cullip, pro-tobacco blogger
- Riccardo Polosa, founder of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR)
A full list of speakers and panellists for each annual GFN event is available on its own page:
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2026
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2025
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2024
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2023
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2022
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2021
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2020
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2019
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2018
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2017
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2016
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2015
- Global Forum on Nicotine 2014
Tobacco Tactics Resources
- Factasia
- Harm Reduction
- Gerry Stimson
- Pinney Associates
- Martin Cullip
- Global Action to End Smoking
- Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Grantees
TCRG Research
- Understanding the emergence of the tobacco industry’s use of the term tobacco harm reduction in order to inform public health policy, S. Peeters, A. Gilmore, Tobacco Control, 2015,24(2):182-189
- “Keep it a secret”: Leaked Documents Suggest Philip Morris International, and Its Japanese Affiliate, Continue to Exploit Science for Profit, S. Braznell, L. Laurence, I. Fitzpatrick, A. B. Glimore, Nicotine and Tobacco research, 2024, XX, 1–11