Health Experts Advocate Harm Reduction Strategies to Reduce Smoking Rates, Challenging Prohibition Approach
Health experts believe that providing smokers with less harmful alternatives may be a more effective approach to reducing smoking rates than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations to prohibit these alternatives while cigarettes remain available. This perspective was shared by Dr. Lorenzo Mata, president of Quit For Good, a non-profit organization that advocates for harm reduction. He emphasized the importance of letting science guide policy responses rather than the other way around.
Dr. Mata made these remarks at the 6th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction: Novel Products, Research & Policy, organized by the International Association on Smoking Control & Harm Reduction (SCOHRE). The summit took place as member countries of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) prepared for the 10th Conference of the Parties (C0P10) in November 2023. The conference aimed to discuss recommendations to either ban or regulate “novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products,” including vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches.
Other experts also voiced their opinions on tobacco control. Dr. Fernando Fernandez Bueno, a Spanish physician, expressed full agreement with Dr. Mata, emphasizing the need for debates on tobacco control to be based on scientific arguments and clinical data rather than opinions and emotional responses.
Professor Andrzej Fal, president of the Polish Society of Public Health, highlighted the financial aspects of smoking. He stressed that prevention is the most effective investment in future health, particularly at a time when health expenditures continue to rise. He called for increased funding for primordial prevention and the implementation of a “less harm, less tax” regulation.
Professor David Sweanor of the University of Ottawa criticized the FCTC and the WHO for failing to recognize the benefits of using less harmful tobacco and nicotine products as alternatives to cigarettes. He argued that this failure results in unnecessary death and disease and undermines the credibility of government and UN bodies.
Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a Greek physician and researcher, pointed out that countries that support less harmful alternatives currently have the lowest smoking rates in the world. He cited examples such as Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Japan, where the market for cigarettes has significantly declined with the advent of heated tobacco products (HTP).
Dr. Mata emphasized that the FCTC’s tobacco control strategies are not effectively reducing the number of smokers globally. He believes that offering safer nicotine products provides new choices for millions of people who want to move away from smoking or other dangerous forms of tobacco use. He highlighted the Republic Act 11900, known as the Vape Law, enacted by the Philippines as a response to regulate vapor products and heated tobacco products to promote a healthier environment, protect citizens, and reduce the harm caused by smoking.
In conclusion, health experts argue that providing smokers with less harmful alternatives could be more effective in reducing smoking rates than outright prohibitions. They advocate for science-based policies and the recognition of the merits of harm reduction strategies. These perspectives were shared at the recent summit on tobacco harm reduction, where experts highlighted the failures of current tobacco control strategies and the potential benefits of offering safer nicotine products.
Source: Thaiger
Mila Villanueva19 hours ago
Health Experts Advocate for Safer Alternatives to Reduce Smoking Rates – Thaiger Ph (thethaiger.com)