WHO BACKGROUND GUIDE
AMSIMUN’25
Chairs: Aljuri Rajab & Mohamed Khadhaouria
Email Addresses:
aljuri.rajab@amb.sch.ae
&
Mohamed.khadhaouria@amg.sch.ae
1
Dear Delegates,
We welcome you to the annual AMSI Model United Nations 2025 conference as your World
Health Organization (WHO) chairs! We are both honored and excited to serve as moderators
for this vital committee, and we eagerly anticipate the insightful discussions that lie ahead. It
is undeniably clear that global health is a paramount concern, and numerous challenges persist
that require our collective attention. We therefore encourage you to dedicate yourselves fully
to addressing the topic at hand and striving for a meaningful consensus.
On April 7th, 1948, the world witnessed the establishment of the World Health Organization, a
specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to attaining the highest possible level of
health for all people. WHO is crucial in directing and coordinating international health within
the United Nations system. In alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the
WHO has spearheaded numerous initiatives and landmark agreements, including the
International Health Regulations, the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and
Adolescents' Health, and various global action plans addressing pressing health concerns.
As your chairs, we emphasize that the background guide is a foundational resource, intended
to initiate your research. You must broaden your knowledge base beyond this document. The
guide provides a general overview, but a comprehensive understanding of your assigned
country's perspective and the topic's complexities necessitates thorough independent research.
We are enthusiastic about embarking on this collaborative journey with you, delegates. Your
presence at this conference underscores your commitment to global health and desire to engage
in meaningful dialogue. We acknowledge that the conference will present complex debates and
challenges, and we are dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes intellectual growth
and constructive discourse.
As your chairs, we are committed to ensuring that all voices are heard and respected throughout
the conference. We look forward to seeing you this April, representing the WHO with
dedication and integrity. Please submit your position papers via only Mawakeb Mail to
aljuri.rajab@amb.sch.ae & mohamed.khadhaouria@amg.sch.ae, and do not hesitate to contact
us with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Aljuri Rajab & Mohamed Khadhaouria
2
Topic: Regulating the Health Risks of E-Cigarettes and Emerging Tobacco
Products
The World Health Organization (WHO) openly displays deep worries about health problems
that e-cigarettes and new tobacco products can create. E-cigarettes promote themselves as safer
alternatives compared to conventional cigarettes, yet they never reached safe levels. Population
health research shows that e-cigarettes and emerging tobacco products create multiple health
risks that increase cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and lung diseases. WHO
declares that e-cigarettes function as consumer products that scientists have not validated for
achieving smoking cessation at the population scale because their adoption undermines
existing tobacco control measures. The organization expresses significant concern because the
tobacco industry supports these new products among children and non-smokers while
producing billions of cigarettes. Several health organizations, including multiple research
studies, validate the existence of serious health hazards associated with both e-cigarettes and
new tobacco products. According to the World Health Organization, e-cigarettes do not
represent a risk-free option because they generate dangerous substances, including
acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and acrolein, which affect lung health and bring cardiac
complications. The World Health Organization shows that e-cigarette nicotine contains high
levels of addiction, together with health-harming properties. In contrast, epidemiological
research shows that conventional cigarette uptake through e-cigarette use becomes three times
higher among teenagers who don't smoke. The use of flavored e-cigarette products by
exclusively young e-cigarette users reaches 74%, and children younger than 5 require 80% of
calls to US poison control centers about e-cigarettes. Medical researchers have yet to
understand e-cigarette-related health effects fully, but these devices produce toxic elements
that scientists link both to cancer development and heart and lung problems. The combination
of e-cigarette use with traditional cigarettes leads to higher occurrences of cardiovascular issues
and metabolic syndromes when compared to cigarette users who consume only one product.
Research and regulatory actions along with public education regarding e-cigarette health risks
need further development because of their impact on youthful public health specifically.
History
The introduction of electronic cigarettes, among other newer tobacco products, has brought
new dimensions to world public health matters. Marketed as safer than cigarettes at entry, these
became popular in a short time, notably among the teenage and young adult population.
Increasing scientific evidence documenting their adverse health effects drew governments and
world healthcare organizations to act through policies. E-cigarettes were first launched in the
early 2000s by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik. His invention aimed to provide smokers with a
healthier alternative by ending the practice of burning used to emit harmful tar and chemicals
in a conventional cigarette. By the 2010s, companies such as Juul Labs had become market
leaders, driving an increase in the consumption of e-cigarettes, especially among youth.
3
As E-cigarettes grew in popularity, so did concerns regarding their effect on health and
their addictive nature. Scientists began to detect harmful chemicals in e-cigarette aerosols,
including nicotine, formaldehyde, and heavy metals. In addition, studies indicated that flavored
e-cigarettes were causing increased use among teenagers. By 2019, severe lung injury related
to vaping, which became known as E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury
(EVALI), was a widespread cause for alarm. This prompted various countries to have laws
banning e-cigarette sales, advertisements, and content. WHO has laid the gauntlet against the
e-cigarette and other new tobacco products challenge. WHO, in 2014, released a report under
the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) wherein they warned that e-cigarettes
pose a grave health risk and require serious regulation, in particular through youth-oriented
marketing strategies. Since then, the WHO has advocated robust control measures such as
taxation, a ban on advertising, and flavor restriction targeted towards children.
As concern escalated, several governments set up provisions to halt the spread of ecigarettes. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) increased the age limit for
purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21 in 2019. India banned e-cigarettes in 2019 for
youth addiction and public health concerns. The European Union Tobacco Products Directive
(TPD) introduced strict nicotine levels, packaging, and marketing controls. Despite these
efforts, there are difficulties in controlling these products, mainly due to the rapid development
of new tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and synthetic nicotine
products. These new products continue to evade existing policies, necessitating a more adaptive
regulatory system. WHO continues to emphasize the need for comprehensive strategies,
including public education campaigns, taxation policies, and research on long-term health
impacts.
As the debate around E-cigarette regulation gets fiercer, the equilibrium between the
protection of public health, especially among youths, and harm reduction for adult smokers is
a rapidly growing concern. While some advocate e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation strategy,
others ring alarm bells over the danger of re-normalizing smoking through e-cigarettes to the
general populace. The coming years will have a defining impact on the direction of global
health policy regarding e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Analysis
The Rise of E-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products has raised a global
conflagration of public health regulation and individual freedom. Initially sold as cleaner than
traditional smoking, the products have raised an eyebrow with their prospect to harm
consumers, especially children. As the body of scientific studies on the health effects of ecigarettes grows, policymakers around the world are under rising pressure to regulate their sale
and use (WHO, 2021). Their extensive availability has also raised ethical concerns regarding
their promotion by large corporations, which focus on vulnerable groups, including young
people and adults (Glantz & Bareham, 2018). Even though e-cigarettes are claimed to enable
smoking quitting, their widespread use among youths and non-smokers has attracted increased
4
concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), e-cigarettes contain toxic
chemicals, such as nicotine, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals, whose health
effects are enduring (WHO, 2022). Additionally, the highly addictive nature of nicotine has
resulted in a new addiction generation among young users, coupled with augmented public
health expenditure and social problems. Studies have also proved that exposure to nicotine
early in life boosts the probability of future addiction to traditional tobacco products, negating
efforts to reverse global smoking prevalence (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine, 2018). International responses to e-cigarette regulation are likewise highly
polarized. India, Brazil, and Thailand have banned e-cigarettes totally, citing worries about
public health and sparse long-term evidence regarding their safety (WHO, 2020). On the other
hand, the United Kingdom and Canada have adopted a harm-reduction approach, regulating
the use of e-cigarettes within strong regulatory frameworks. The disparity in policies reflects
the debate over decreasing health risks and allowing substitutes for smokers to switch from
traditional tobacco products. The same division also complicates worldwide efforts in agreeing
on a universal approach to controlling tobacco because of the divergent cultural, economic,
and political factors informing regional policymaking (McNeill et al., 2021).
WHO has repeatedly emphasized that e-cigarettes must be strictly regulated to prevent
another public health catastrophe. In 2021, the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic
urged governments to ban flavored e-cigarettes, restrict advertising, and impose higher taxation
to reduce accessibility, particularly for youth (WHO, 2021). However, opposition from the
tobacco and vaping industries, as well as disinformation campaigns, has slowed the
implementation of stringent regulations worldwide. Industry-funded research has, in most
instances, downplayed the risks of vaping, creating confusion among the populace and sluggish
legislative action in most countries (Tobacco Control Journal, 2022). Furthermore, new
tobacco products such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and synthetic nicotine alternatives
have complicated regulation. The products broadly fall into legal loopholes, making it difficult
for governments to implement existing tobacco control laws (Kennedy et al., 2019). The delay
in the implementation of regulations provided the industry time to enhance its power while
increasing rates of nicotine dependence globally. The marketing of the novel products as "safe
alternatives" has created an illusion that these are safe from a health standpoint, further eroding
public health efforts of limiting tobacco use (Levy et al., 2020).
Although the World Health Assembly has yet to deal with the issue, the conflicting
views among governments, public health practitioners, and the tobacco industry are a
significant obstacle to achieving comprehensive global regulations. While other nations
encourage complete prohibitions, some regulate sales and utilization through taxation and
marketing restrictions (WHO, 2023). The controversy surrounding e-cigarettes and new
tobacco items emphasizes the broader battle between corporate influence and public health in
policy-making. In most countries, regulatory decisions are also confounded by economic
considerations, such as the generation of jobs in the vaping industry and taxation revenue, so
it is challenging to prioritize public health over economic gain (Bates et al., 2021). With the
WHO leading, the world will determine in the coming years whether more cooperation at an
international level can prevent the health threat that e-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco
5
products present. Unless immediate action is taken, the world will be reliving history and
allowing future tobacco epidemics to develop in the guise of harm reduction (WHO, 2022).
Strengthened international agreements, enhanced public consciousness campaigns, and
continued scientific research will ensure that global tobacco control protects future generations
from nicotine addiction hazards (Glantz & Bareham, 2020).
Questions to be answered in your resolutions:
1. What should be the recommended global standards for e-cigarette product safety,
including maximum nicotine concentration, tank capacity, and child-resistant
packaging
2. How can WHO support member states in implementing and enforcing bans or strong
regulations on e-cigarettes, particularly in countries where they are currently
unregulated
3. What strategies should be employed to prevent youth access to e-cigarettes, considering
the effectiveness of retail licensing, flavor bans, and pricing policies
4. How should emerging tobacco and nicotine delivery products be monitored and
regulated in a rapidly evolving market to protect public health
5. What strategies can be implemented to prevent the marketing and appeal of these
products to youth and non-smokers?
6. How should we address the environmental impact of e-cigarette waste and disposable
products?
7. What role should flavors play in regulating e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco
products?
8. How can we ensure product safety and quality standards across the various devices and
e-liquids?
9. What research priorities should be established to fill the knowledge gaps about these
new products and their health impacts?
Starter Sources
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516204
https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products
https://europeanlung.org/en/news-and-blog/new-statement-on-e-cigarettes/
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/index.html
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco/whatyou-need-to-know-aboutvaping#:~:text=The%20American%20Heart%20Association%20recommends,flavori
ngs%20and%20marketing%20to%20kids.
Country Matrix
Commonwealth of Australia – Federative Republic of Brazil – Federal Republic of Germany
– Federal Republic of Nigeria – French Republic – Italian Republic – Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia – Kingdom of Thailand – People’s Republic of China – Republic of Argentina –
Republic of Canada – Republic of India – Republic of Indonesia – Republic of Kenya –
6
Republic of Poland – Republic of South Africa – Republic of South Korea – Republic of the
Philippines – Republic of Turkey – Russian Federation – State of Japan – United Arab
Emirates – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – United Mexican States –
United States of America
Resources
American Cancer Society. (2024, November 19). E-cigarettes and Vaping | Health Risks
of E-Cigarettes. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco/e-cigarettesvaping.html
American Heart Association. (2022, February 6). Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco/is-vapingsafer-than-smoking
American Lung Association. (2024, December 17). Health Risks of E-Cigarettes and
Vaping. https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/impact-of-e-cigaretteson-lung
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, January 31). Health Effects of
Vaping. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/health-effects.html
Truth Initiative. (2019, March 19). E-cigarettes: Facts, stats and regulations.
https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/e-cigarettesfacts-stats-and-regulations
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Tobacco: E-cigarettes. https://www.who.int/newsroom/questions-and-answers/item/tobacco-e-cigarettes
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic
2021: Addressing new and emerging products. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Retrieved from https://www.who.int
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). E-cigarette use among
youth and young adults: A public health concern. Atlanta, GA: CDC. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov
Glantz, S. A., & Bareham, D. W. (2018). E-cigarettes: Use, effects on smoking, risks, and
policy implications. Annual Review of Public Health, 39(1), 215–235.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-01375
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Public health
consequences of e-cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/24952
McNeill, A., Brose, L. S., Calder, R., Bauld, L., & Robson, D. (2020). Vaping in
England: An evidence update including mental health and pregnancy. London: Public
Health England. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications
Soneji, S., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., Wills, T. A., Leventhal, A. M., Unger, J. B., &
Samet, J. M. (2017). Association between initial use of e-cigarettes and subsequent
cigarette smoking among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta7
analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 171(8), 788–797.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1488
8