International conference on tobacco control and human rights brings experts from around the world to Groningen

Will the generational smoking ban in the Maldives be replicated elsewhere in the world? Is the law equipped to deal with novel nicotine and tobacco products such as vapes?

Specialists from around the world in the fields of health, law and smoking will come to Groningen on 4 and 5 December for the international conference Regulating Tobacco and Novel Products: Special Attention to Human Rights.

The event is an initiative of the Global Scientific Network on Law and Tobacco, coordinated by Monique van Cauwenberghe, and is housed within the Groningen Centre for Health Law (GSNL), led by Brigit Toebes. The GCHL celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The conference brings together researchers, legal scholars and (public health) professionals from Australia, the US, Gambia, Indonesia, Belgium, Switzerland and other countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities for tobacco control and the regulation of new products, with a strong focus on human rights.

Key themes

The conference will address the following topics, among others:

• Human rights and tobacco regulation
• Regional perspectives (Africa, Asia, EU, US)
• Legal approaches to new tobacco and nicotine products
• Youth protection and corporate responsibility
• EU legislation: opportunities and barriers
• Comparative analysis between tobacco, alcohol and drug regulation
• Industry harm reduction narratives
• Smoke and Aerosol Free Zones

Keynote speakers are Prof. Coral Gartner (University of Queensland) and Prof. Andreas Schmidt (University of Groningen).

In addition to the conference, the annual meeting of the Global Health Law Consortium will take place in the same week, with world-renowned scholars in the field of global health law. Many participants will attend both events, which adds an extra dimension to the conference.

Practical information

• Date: 4 and 5 December 2025
• Location: Puddingfabriek and House of Connections, Groningen
• Organisation: Global Scientific Network on Law and Tobacco (GSNLT) and Groningen Centre for Health Law (GCHL)