Report of the meeting to review the latest scientific evidence on the impact of cigarette ventilation on cigarette use, 18–19 November 2019

Overview

This report provides an overview of the deliberations and findings of the face-to-face meeting on cigarette ventilation to gain an overview of the latest scientific evidence on the impact of cigarette ventilation on cigarette use from 18 – 19 November, 2019.  The meeting, which was held in line with request 8 of Decision FCTC/COP8(21), addressed the following topics related to cigarette ventilation:

• introduction to cigarette ventilation and possible implications for public health;
• exploration of cigarette ventilation mechanisms, market availability and prevalence of use;
• potential effects of cigarette ventilation on human smoking topography and behaviour;
• effects of cigarette filter ventilation on machine-measured yields;
• effects of cigarette ventilation on product appeal and consumer perception/use;
• exploration of potential health effects of filter ventilation on consumers; and
• regulatory and policy considerations for ventilated cigarettes.

The report summarizes the findings of the meeting, provides useful information on the strength of evidence of the findings, the research gaps and regulatory considerations and provides some recommendations.  Thus, it contributes to the knowledge on cigarette ventilation, improves countries’ understanding of the use of ventilation in cigarettes and could help in strengthening the implementation of Articles 9 and 10 of the WHO FCTC.