International Norms: How Global Expectations Shape National Nicotine Policies
Countries adopt nicotine policies not just based on domestic evidence, but on international norms—what 'responsible' countries do. The FCTC shapes those norms. Changing the norms requires changing the FCTC.
When the WHO tells a low-income country to restrict e-cigarettes, the country often complies—not because it has evaluated the evidence, but because it wants to be seen as a 'responsible' member of the international community. **International norms are powerful: they shape policy in countries that lack the resources to conduct independent risk assessments. The FCTC is the primary norm-setter for global tobacco control—and its hostility to harm reduction has shaped norms that restrict access to reduced-risk products in the countries that need them most.**
