The International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction (SCOHRE)
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The International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction (SCOHRE), Tobacco Tactics, updated 01 May 2024, accessed 05 July 2024.
Background
The International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction (SCOHRE) was founded in September 2020 at the 3rd Scientific Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction. SCOHRE has organised the subsequent Scientific Summits on Tobacco Harm Reduction 1
SCOHRE’s website states that:
“SCOHRE is an International scientific Association of independent experts on Smoking Control & Harm Reduction, who seek an open and constructive dialogue to help come up with a new approach to smoking control policies.”2
SCOHRE states that it “will receive no funding, directly or indirectly from the tobacco industry.”34
As we outline below, while there is no evidence of direct tobacco industry funding of SCOHRE, two of the 22 founding members have received funding from the tobacco industry (one as a paid consultant, and one to the organisation he directs) and two others are affiliated to organisations that have received funding from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) which is wholly funded by Philip Morris International. In addition, the tobacco industry actively participates in the summits SCOHRE organises.
Scientific Summits
The Scientific Summits first took place in May 2018. The objective was “to create an international summit aiming to cover most aspects of Tobacco Harm Reduction research, policies, and products”.1
Tobacco Companies Involved in Scientific Summits
3rd Scientific Summit – September 2020
SCOHRE was formed during this summit. A number of tobacco industry employees from British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) took part in panel discussions at that event.5
4th Scientific Summit – September 2021
This summit was organised by SCOHRE and featured a much larger contingent from the tobacco industry. Nine tobacco industry researchers presented their work at the summit. Five of these researchers were employed at PMI, two at BAT and one at both JUUL Labs and Japan Tobacco International (JTI).6
A panel discussion on the ‘transformation of the tobacco industry: strategy, competition and ethics’ featured Gizelle Baker (PMI), Sharon Goodall (BAT), Ian Jones (JTI) and Joe Murillo (JUUL Labs).6
5th Scientific Summit – September 2022
Twenty-four tobacco industry researchers presented their work, nine of whom were employees at BAT, eight at PMI and seven at JUUL Labs.7
Four researchers connected to the Centre of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) also presented their research at the summit.7 CoEHAR, founded by Riccardo Polosa, is one of multiple “Centres of Excellence” set up with funding from the Foundation for a Smoke Free World (FSFW) as hubs for research on tobacco harm reduction. FSFW is wholly funded by PMI.7
Charles Gardner, the Executive Director of the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO), an FSFW grantee, took part in a panel discussion on ‘THR challenges & prospect’.7 He formerly worked as director health, science and technology at FSFW.8
Promoted by PMI
Notably the Scientific Summits are listed on PMI’s conference calendar on its PMI Science website.9
Founding Members with Tobacco Industry Links
Dr. Karl Fagerström.10 Fagerström has received consulting fees from Swedish Match (a manufacturer of snus and nicotine pouches) and other tobacco companies “to assist their development of less-risky tobacco products.”11 He also founded Niconovum, a manufacturer of nicotine products, which was acquired by Reynolds American (now BAT).12 For more information see Tobacco Company Investments in Pharmaceutical & NRT Products.
Dr. Stanimir Hasardjiev, Director General of the Bulgarian National Patients Organisation (NPO).1314 The NPO received BGN 147,760 (USD 81,810) from PMI between 2018 and 2019.15 The tobacco control organisation Bulgarian Coalition for a Smoke Free Life stated that a survey undertaken by Kantar on behalf of NPO in 2020 (on the perception and use of tobacco and related products) was part funded by PMI’s Bulgarian subsidiary, Philip Morris Bulgaria Ltd.15
Founding Members with connections to the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World
The Foundation For a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) was launched in 2018 with multi-million dollar funding from Philip Morris International (PMI). It stated that it was independent of the tobacco company and would seek other revenue sources. However, PMI remains its sole funder and its many reports and grants have echoed industry arguments.
Dr. Konstantinos Poulas, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Patras, and a founding member of SCOHRE,1613 set up the NOSMOKE institute at the Patras Science Park, a university start-up incubator, that has received $105,985 in grants from the PMI funded Foundation for a Smoke Free World (FSFW).17 The institute develops e-cigarette products and shares tobacco industry research that promotes e-cigarettes. Poulas has also co-authored multiple academic papers funded by FSFW.18192021 As of October 2022, Poulas is the only SCOHRE founding member who is not listed as a member on the company registration document.3422 However he continues to take an active role in the Scientific Summits.17
Dr. Rajesh Sharan, another founding member of the SCOHRE, is one of three trustees of the P.N. Srivastava Foundation For Scientific Education & Research in Shillong, India, which was awarded a US$67,600 grant from FSFW in May 2018 for a “Detailed Project Development for Establishment of a Center of Excellence on Harm Reduction Science.”2324 For more information see Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Centres of Excellence.
Founding Members with connections to Knowledge-Action-Change
Knowledge-Action-Change Limited (K-A-C) is a private organisation founded by Gerry Stimson. It is funded by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), which is in turn funded by Philip Morris International (PMI).
Founding members of the SCOHRE, are identified by Knowledge-Action-Change as contributors to its Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTR) report, ‘No Fire No Smoke’, published in 2018.25 The report was “supported solely by a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke Free-World”.25
For more information see Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.
The rest of the founding members are listed in this SCOHRE press release.34
COP 9 Letter
Ahead of COP 9 in 2021, held virtually in Geneva, five SCOHRE founding members were among the signatories of an open letter calling on the WHO to change its stance on e-cigarettes and harm reduction strategies. The letter was also signed by several FSFW grantees.1326
- For more information on other activity around this time, see COP 9 & MOP 2.
Relevant Links
TobaccoTactics Resources
