Updated on September 2024
Background
The Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR)[1] was set up in 2018 at the University of Catania in Italy with funds from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) to conduct research on harm reduction. The FSFW was 100% funded by Philip Morris International.[2] TobaccoTactics reported that between 2018 and 2023, CoEHAR, received a total of US$16,283,917 from FSFW (now known as Global Action to End Smoking) through ECLAT SRL which is a spin-off of the University of Catania.[3]
Among its activities, CoEHAR lobbied other countries with messages that align with PMI’s narrative promoting harm reduction through alternate tobacco products such as heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes.[4] In August 2022 when Malaysia was debating the omnibus tobacco control legislation which considered a ban on e-cigarettes, CoEHAR sent a letter to the Malaysian Prime Minister urging the government “not to prohibit smoke free nicotine-based alternatives to combustible cigarettes”.[5] When the Philippines passed the retrogressive bill approving e-cigarettes, which allowed online sales and promotion of e-cigarettes and lowered purchase age from 21 years to 18 years, CoEHAR researchers sent a letter to the President of the Philippines supporting the new bill.[6]
CoEHAR branch in Indonesia
In September 2024, CoEHAR signed a letter of intent with the Universitas Padjadjaran to create a new CoEHAR branch in Indonesia.[7] The Indonesian branch is meant to “serve as a regional center for research, outreach, and education on smoking harm reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.” Representatives of the Italian government, including the Scientific Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Indonesia, Roberto Carniel, attended the signing ceremony. In endorsing the activity, Italy has contravened the decision FCTC/COP6(14)32 adopted by Parties to the WHO FCTC in 2014 “to raise awareness and adopt measures to implement Article 5.3 and its implementing Guidelines among all parts of government including diplomatic missions”.[8]
The source of funding for the Indonesian branch of CoEHAR from Global Action was not mentioned in its publicity or information on its website.
Professor Dr. Amaliya and Associate Professor Dr. Ronny Lesmana of Universitas Padjadjaran are key partners in this joint initiative with CoEHAR. They have had previous collaborations with CoEHAR through the SMILE project involving four countries including Indonesia.
In 2018, at the 2nd Asia Harm Reduction Forum in Manilla, Dr Amaliya, representing the Indonesia Public Health Observation Foundation, promoted alternative smoking devices as being “95 per cent less harmful than combustible cigarettes”[9] despite this claim having been debunked[10] and quoted PMI’s line that “The quit or die approach does not work.”[11]
In 2020, Dr Amaliya was a speaker in the 4th Scientific Summit of SCOHRE that has industry links,[12] and in 2023, the Professor attended the nicotine industry sponsored event, the Global Nicotine Forum.[13]
[1] TobaccoTactics. Center of Ecellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction. https://tobaccotactics.org/article/coehar/
[2] TobaccoTactics. Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Foundation for a Smoke-Free World – Tobacco Tactics
[3] TobaccoTactics. Center of Ecellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction. https://tobaccotactics.org/article/coehar/#:~:text=CoEHAR%20was%20granted%20US%244%2C047%2C066,on%20toxin%20exposure%20and%20risk%E2%80%9D.
[4] STOP. New Voices Championing New Tobacco Products. 2022 Sep. https://exposetobacco.org/wp-content/uploads/Updated_New_Voices.pdf
[5] CoEHAR. Letter to the Malaysian government on tobacco control. 2022/08/09 https://www.coehar.org/letter-to-the-malaysian-government-on-tobacco-control/
[6] CoEHAR. Philippines: CoEHAR researchers express full support for the VPN Bill
[7] CoEHAR Historic agreement between CoEHAR of the University of Catania and the Padjadjaran University: the launch of the CoEHAR Indonesia
[8] WHO FCTC. Sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. FCTC/COP6(14): Protection of public health policies with respect to tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. 2014/10/18 http://apps.who.int/gb/fctc/PDF/cop6/FCTC_COP6(14)-en.pdf
[9] Lokman T. E-cigs, vape at least 95 per cent safer than cigarettes. NST. 2018/11/15 https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/heal/2018/11/431519/e-cigs-vape-least-95-cent-safer-cigarettes
[10] E-cigarettes: Public Health England’s evidence-based confusion, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)00042-2/fulltext
[11] STOP. New Voices Championing New Tobacco Products. 2022 Sep. https://exposetobacco.org/wp-content/uploads/Updated_New_Voices.pdf
[12] TobaccoTactics. SCOHRE. https://tobaccotactics.org/article/the-international-association-on-smoking-control-and-harm-reduction-scohre/
[13] Global Forum on Nicotine. Day 3: Panel 1: Panel discussion 1: Ten years of science: what have we learned? 2023/06/23 https://gfn.events/events-timeline/global-forum-on-nicotine-2023/programme/