Researchers and Consumer Rights Associations Call for Support for «Harm Reduction» Policies to Combat Traditional Smoking

Growing interest from researchers, analysts, and consumer rights associations around the world in the concept of “harm reduction” as an effective means of combating the spread of traditional smoking, in light of the exacerbation of its harm to human health.

Yaël Ossowski, Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center said, “Harm reduction is a core tenant of public health policy in so many respects — yet it seems this concept is denied or even demonized in the field of tobacco harm reduction by restricting access to tobacco products.”

Ossowski added that tobacco harm reduction can only be achieved by providing alternatives for smokers who want to continue smoking, such as less harmful electronic smoking devices and other smoke-free nicotine alternatives, which have seen a large increase in popularity from millions around the world to switch to their use as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Ossowski also pointed to the need to consider the scientific evidence that proves the effectiveness of tobacco harm reduction through nicotine alternatives.

Ossowski pointed out that many modern alternatives exist to compensate smokers for traditional cigarettes and reduce the harm caused by burning tobacco as the primary source of harmful chemicals. These include oral nicotine, and tobacco heating devices, which scientific research has proven to be less harmful, although not completely risk-free. These devices are different from e-cigarettes, which heat “liquid”.

Scientific research confirms that the process of burning tobacco in cigarettes occurs at a temperature starting from 400 degrees Celsius, resulting in smoke that contains more than 6,000 harmful chemical compounds, about 100 of which have been classified as harmful or potentially harmful to human health. However, if tobacco is heated instead of burned at a temperature not exceeding 350 degrees Celsius, it will not produce smoke but rather “water vapor or aerosol,” which is what tobacco heating technology does in smoke-free alternative products. Consequently, the average levels of harmful chemicals are reduced by up to 95% compared to cigarette smoke yet this does not necessarily mean that the harm caused by smoking is reduced by the same proportion, nor are they completely risk-free.

In the same context, American journalist Drew Johnson, former executive director of a research center, said that tobacco harm reduction should be addressed in a way that considers transparency standards. He added that tightening regulations and legislation and imposing more taxes may not contribute to achieving the desired results in combating tobacco, with the existence of new nicotine products and alternatives, especially in light of the existence of many goods that may have negative effects on human health, such as fatty foods or sugars, but they do not receive the same level of scrutiny.

It is worth noting that the latest statistics issued on the number of tobacco consumers worldwide showed a decline due to the new, less harmful nicotine products and alternatives, which indicate the importance of innovations in the field of tobacco. The number of users of heated tobacco products worldwide has increased to reach about 28.6 million users, 73% of whom have already switched to heated tobacco products and stopped traditional smoking altogether, and they represent about 20.8 million adults.