Category: Harm Reduction

  • KAC Explains COP

    KAC Explains COP

    Gerry Stimson | Photo courtesy of GNF

    Knowledge Action Change (KAC) has published a briefing to help policymakers, health officials and consumers better understand the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The 10th edition of this event, which normally takes place every two years, is scheduled for November in Panama.

    While decisions made at the conference are likely to significantly impact tobacco companies and their customers, industry representatives and organizations advocating for access to safer nicotine products have traditionally been barred from attending the event.

    As a result, tobacco harm reduction has been getting short rift at COP meetings despite the fact that the concept is an integral part of the FCTC.

    “Harm reduction is explicitly named as one of three tobacco control strategies in the opening lines of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but at present, the indications are that COP10 is unlikely to result in any decisions that support consumer access to safer nicotine products,” said KAC Director Gerry Stimson in a statement.

    “Parties to the FCTC must seize the opportunity in Panama to consider evidence from countries where tobacco harm reduction is saving lives, including the U.K., New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Japan—and ask why the WHO and its influential philanthropic funders are refusing to do the same.

    “With no media present, FCTC COP meetings are shrouded in a secrecy more akin to a U.N. Security Council meeting—and in direct contrast to other COP meetings, for example those on climate change. This briefing paper gives policymakers, health officials and consumers more insight into the processes of COP10 and the opportunity to engage more fully prior to and during the event in Panama,” said Stimson

  • Filipino Smokers Have Quit Options

    Filipino Smokers Have Quit Options

    no smoking
    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Adult Filipino tobacco smokers who wish to quit should be given more alternatives to help them gradually decrease their nicotine consumption, a research group said, reports GMA News Online.

    ASCRA Consulting’s project coordinator, Joze Songsong, discussed tobacco harm reduction (THR) in a media forum, explaining that Filipinos need to be protected from the dangers of smoking and some need smoking cessation support.  

    “Through tobacco harm reduction, what we want to do is to empathize with those adult smokers who can’t immediately quit because either they use nicotine as a way to alleviate the different social circumstances that force them into this particular lifestyle or habit,” Songsong said. “What we want to do is not to advocate for a specific type of cure for these Filipino smokers but to equip them with the right information and the tools to make those informed decisions because these Filipino smokers have the right to informed choices and have the right to make choices for their own health.” 

    Ehsan Latif, senior vice president of the Foundation for a Smoke-free World, said that the Philippines should learn from the THR progress of other countries like Japan and the United Kingdom.

    “We can’t expect people to quit smoking in just a day. The challenge is how we interact with the private sector. It’s not dependent on one sect,” said Latif.

  • Survey: Americans Support Harm Reduction

    Survey: Americans Support Harm Reduction

    Image: Maren Winter | Adobe Stock

    Two out of three Americans support tobacco harm reduction over blanket prohibition as the better policy approach to tobacco regulation, according to a survey released by Altria. 

    The survey also shows that 82 percent think it is important for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to focus on making smoke-free tobacco products available to adult smokers to help them switch from cigarettes.

    “There is clear, overwhelming support for the FDA embracing harm reduction for the 30 million American adults who smoke. That means providing adult smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit with wider access to smoke-free alternatives and providing them the information and support to help them switch,” said Paige Magness, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at Altria Client Services. “Pursuing harm reduction is one of the most powerful steps the FDA can take to deliver on its mission to reduce tobacco-related death and disease in the U.S. It is our hope that the FDA will listen to these voices as it sets out its policy agenda for the coming years.”

    The survey also shows that 90 percent agree that the FDA has a responsibility to accurately inform adult tobacco consumers about the risks associated with different tobacco products, and 88 percent agree that the FDA has a responsibility to address the widespread misperception that nicotine causes cancer.

    Most adults also agree that policies that ban tobacco products will lead to illicit markets for tobacco products, endangering public health, youth and communities of color.

    “Most Americans understand that prohibition-based policies don’t work and that it’s much better for public health to keep tobacco products legal and regulated,” said Magness. “Harm reduction is the better path forward. With harm reduction, regulators provide adult smokers with information, choice and support to expand the off-ramp from smoking—while also continuing to drive down underage use.”

    The survey results also underscore the clear expectations that adults have for physicians to help adult smokers who want to switch, according to Altria. Seventy-nine percent agree that if certain tobacco products have been scientifically shown to be less risky than cigarettes, physicians have a responsibility to communicate this information to their patients who are adult tobacco consumers and have not successfully quit smoking by using traditional cessation therapies.

    In addition to general population adults, the survey asked primary care physicians about their views on tobacco harm reduction. Of those surveyed, 89 percent support tobacco harm reduction as a public health concept and 85 percent believe it is important for the FDA to focus on making smoke-free tobacco products available to adult smokers to help them switch from cigarettes to less harmful alternatives.

    Policy professionals were also surveyed and overwhelmingly believe that harm reduction is a better approach for the FDA to focus on than prohibition (78 percent), that tobacco products should remain legal so they can be properly regulated (77 percent) and that the FDA has a responsibility to accurately inform adult tobacco consumers about the different levels of risk associated with tobacco products (96 percent).

  • Broughton Joins UKVIA

    Broughton Joins UKVIA

    Photo: Courtesy of the Broughton Group

    Broughton has joined the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) as the 2023 vaping awareness month, VApril, kicks off. Nveed Chaudhary, chief scientific and regulatory officer at Broughton, attended a meeting of industry experts at the Houses of Parliament to encourage more regulatory rigor in applying U.K. vape regulation to protect consumers, according to a press release. The event provided a platform for key stakeholders to discuss the current state of the vaping industry and explore ways to improve public health outcomes.

    “Recent compliance issues with some manufacturers could impact consumer trust in vapes in the U.K.,” said John Dunne, UKVIA director. “Quality control and analytical testing experts Broughton joining UKVIA at this time illustrates the importance of product quality and safety to ensuring the continued transition of smokers away from cigarettes.

    “At UKVIA, we believe vapes have a key role to play in helping reduce death and disease caused by smoking. Ensuring vape safety is of the utmost importance to us and our members, and as a group, we’re advocating for stronger action against noncompliant vapes. This should include faster removal of noncompliant products, complete testing of products and greater penalties for manufacturers and retailers who break the rules.”

    Broughton has also introduced a new U.K. and European Union Vape Compliance Package to help address concerns about vape regulatory compliance. The service will focus on labeling, packaging, nicotine strength, fill volume and banned ingredients.

    Manufacturers, distributors and retailers who use the compliance package will receive a Certificate of Analysis that verifies their products’ compliance with current U.K. or EU regulations.

  • UK Smokers Encouraged to Swap Cigs for Vapes

    UK Smokers Encouraged to Swap Cigs for Vapes

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Up to 1 million smokers will be encouraged to swap their cigarettes for vapes, according to the British government. Pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to switch, reports Reuters.

    “Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly,” Health Minister Neil O’Brien will say in a speech later on Tuesday, the government said.

    “We will offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will be funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme—the first of its kind in the world.”

  • Paper Addresses Harm Reduction of Pouches

    Paper Addresses Harm Reduction of Pouches

    Knowledge-Action-Change (KAC) has published the latest in a series of briefing papers as part of its Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) project.

    What are nicotine pouches? provides an overview of the latest information about the scientific evidence, market data, regulatory landscape and tobacco harm potential for this relatively new safer nicotine product, according to KAC.

    Nicotine pouches are thumbnail-sized sachets that are placed under the lip. They are made from vegetable fibers infused with nicotine and a range of flavors. Nicotine pouches are sometimes confused with Swedish snus, another safer nicotine product that was the subject of a previous GSTHR briefing paper. Both products are placed under the lip, but while Swedish snus contains tobacco, nicotine pouches do not contain any raw or processed tobacco leaves.

    As a new product category, the body of evidence examining their safety is still growing, but preliminary findings indicate that nicotine pouches offer people who use nicotine a significantly safer alternative to smoking.

    “This briefing paper aims to increase knowledge about, and awareness of, the tobacco harm reduction potential of nicotine pouches,” said Gerry Stimson, director of KAC and emeritus professor at Imperial College London. “Good quality information about the full range of different safer nicotine products is essential for consumers, policymakers and regulators.

    “Nicotine pouches could make a significant contribution to tobacco harm reduction. This is particularly the case for the more than 300 million people worldwide who use smokeless tobacco products, most of whom live in low-[income] and middle-income countries where health systems are less well-resourced to diagnose and treat noncommunicable diseases. High-risk oral tobacco products such as betel quid, paan or gutkha contain relatively high levels of carcinogenic and toxic compounds and increase the risk of oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancers. In contrast, nicotine pouches have been found to have a similar risk profile to nicotine replacement therapy.

    “Nicotine pouches may not yet be as widely used as nicotine vapes, but the global market for these products is already worth $1.5 billion. This provides good evidence that tobacco users find these products acceptable and will switch to them. In comparison to some other safer nicotine product categories, nicotine pouches are low cost and have minimal start-up and on-costs for consumers, meaning they offer significant hope to many low-[income] and middle-income countries where high-risk oral tobacco use is prevalent.”

  • Finland Backs NRT Over Harm Reduction

    Finland Backs NRT Over Harm Reduction

    Image: New Africa | Adobe Stock

    Finland has strict laws on vaping and a ban on snus despite about 900,000 citizens smoking combustible cigarettes, reports Filter, noting that the country does, however, have a booming nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) market.

    Finland has banned vaping in all places where smoking is banned, banned flavors other than tobacco, implemented a total advertising ban and made online and cross-border sales illegal. Snus is also banned—Sweden is the only European Union member that has an exemption to the snus ban. Despite this, an estimated 38,000 people use nicotine vapes in the country.

    Vaping is considered less hazardous than smoking combustible cigarettes, but Finland has put focus on NRT like gums and patches rather than tobacco harm reduction products like vapes. NRT products can be easily purchased without prescriptions throughout the country.

    “NRT is definitely the most popular cessation tool available,” said Jari Ollikka, chair and cofounder of Vapers Finland ry, an association created by and for people who vape, in an interview with Filter. “There was a time when it was only sold in pharmacies, but since 2006, NRT started to be sold in general stores.

    “There was a target of a ‘smoke-free Finland’ by 2040. But then the goalpost changed: The target is now 2030. At the same time, Finland changed from wanting to be smoke-free to smoke-free and nicotine-free.

    “There have been pharmaceutical companies involved in the campaign for a smoke-free Finland, and they don’t like vapes. And it is these that have benefited from pushing NRT. Also, pharmacies want to get their share back from NRT sales because they are lobbying to end general sales of NRT and allow NRT sales only in pharmacies,” he said.

    Ollikka said that the government now admits that vaping is less harmful than smoking, “but there’s no push to get people to use vapes as a way to quit smoking. Finland is stuck in this ‘quit or die’ method when it comes to smoking. There is no belief in harm reduction. The choice Finland wants to give people who wish to stop smoking is NRT—or cold turkey! Vaping is seen as just being part of Big Tobacco businesses. Vapes are not considered as aids to quit smoking.”

    Finland has parliamentary elections upcoming in April. Ollikka said some parties are pushing to legalize snus. “So,” he said, “I see this as a good chance to influence politicians to lift restrictions from vaping as well.”

  • COP Delegations Urged to Include Consumers

    COP Delegations Urged to Include Consumers

    Photo: Oleg

    Country delegations to the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) should include at least one consumer of safer nicotine products, according to the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

    In a letter to their respective countries’ FCTC delegations, CAPHRA member organizations stressed the importance of listening to consumers. “Consumers are an untapped experience and knowledge base who are not represented inclusively in the FCTC process,” the letter states. “Delegates to COP10 should be representing the rights and aspirations of the citizens.”

    CAPHRA insists that adults have the right to make choices that help them avoid adverse health outcomes, and people who smoke have the right to access less harmful nicotine products as alternatives to combustible and unsafe tobacco. What’s more, they have the right to participate in the policymaking process that directly impacts their right to health and well-being, the letter notes.

    CAPHRA Executive Director Nancy Loucas said that exclusion of consumer voices has contributed to misinformation, disinformation and failures of tobacco control policy.

    “Millions have successfully used vaping to move away from combustibles and unsafe oral nicotine products, yet the FCTC looks set to bury its head in the sand again at COP10. CAPHRA believes visiting delegations must include a consumer voice to give at least some balance to all the misinformation,” says Loucas.

    COP10 will be held in Panama in November.

  • Experts Address Health Professionals on Vaping

    Experts Address Health Professionals on Vaping

    Image: Maren Winter | Adobe Stock

    Three experts from King’s College London and the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health recently addressed health professionals, seeking to dispel what they describe as “myths about e-cigarettes and vaping,” according to the Independent European Vaping Alliance (IEVA).

    “E-cigarettes (vapes) are currently the most popular aid used to quit smoking in England and are used by around 4.3 million adults in Great Britain, the majority of whom are ex-smokers,” the authors stated, emphasizing that “… vaping poses only a small fraction of the health risks of smoking and that smokers should be encouraged to use vaping products … for stopping.” The experts fear that myths about vaping “risk undermining the use of these products as cessation aids.”

    “The facts about harm reduction are on the table,” said Dustin Dahlmann, president of the IEVA. “If many more smokers who cannot quit by other means were to switch to e-cigarettes, millions of people worldwide could live better and longer lives. Health policy in the U.K. should be a shining example to all policymakers.”

  • Malaysia Urged to Reassess ‘Endgame’ Bill

    Malaysia Urged to Reassess ‘Endgame’ Bill

    Image: studioDG | Adobe Stock

    The Malaysian Society for Harm Reduction (MSHR) has called on the Malaysian government to reassess the generational endgame (GEG) measure regarding vaping, reports the New Straits Times.

    Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, MSHR chairman, stated that many smokers are using vaping to quit smoking cigarettes and that the GEG could be counterproductive as it positions vaping as equally harmful as smoking.

    “While vaping has health risks, we cannot ignore scientific evidence that vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking,” said Puteh. “Several reputable public health organizations have made that estimate and endorsed by multiple developed countries. In addition, vape is also recognized as an effective tool to reduce smoking hazards and rates.”

    The MSHR has suggested that vaping be regulated and training be provided to vendors on proper ways to switch to nicotine-replacement therapies and vapor products. It also suggests forming an independent committee driven by science and evidence to conduct in-depth research on vapor products.

    “If we look at the decline in the smoking rates in countries with higher vaping rates, it speeds up as the vaping rate increase[s],” said Puteh.

    “Legislative process for the new bill will take a lengthy time,” she said. “In addition, a bill should only be tabled with detailed discussion and studies on the proposed GEG measure that the previous minister proposed.

    “Given this, we believe the government should take immediate steps to regulate vape products using existing laws to speed up regulations on the products to protect consumers from prohibited ingredients by introducing standards on the product as well as prohibiting access by minors.”