Making it easier for smokers to switch from combustible cigarettes to less risky non-combustible ways of ingesting nicotine such as vaping, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches or snus is tobacco harm reduction in action. Harm reduction has often been used to decrease the health, social, economic and environmental damage of psychoactive substances. Think of interventions like methadone treatment, needle syringe programs, drug consumption rooms, pill testing and supervised prescription heroin treatment. Effective, safe and cost effective. Fiercely resisted when newly introduced but later strongly supported by communities when they have had a chance to understand how impressive their benefits are and how meagre their adverse effects are. Bloomberg Narrative followers have an easy time now opposing tobacco harm reduction. But the prohibitionists are going to find that they will continue losing support as time goes by.
Great point Alan. “WHO’s surveillance systems, indicators, and prevalence targets are designed to quantify existing harm, not to measure lives saved before tragedy strikes.”
This is a point I haven’t thought about much. Makes sense as to why the WHO fights harm reduction.
Thought provoking. Yes!!
Cannot love this enough!
Making it easier for smokers to switch from combustible cigarettes to less risky non-combustible ways of ingesting nicotine such as vaping, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches or snus is tobacco harm reduction in action. Harm reduction has often been used to decrease the health, social, economic and environmental damage of psychoactive substances. Think of interventions like methadone treatment, needle syringe programs, drug consumption rooms, pill testing and supervised prescription heroin treatment. Effective, safe and cost effective. Fiercely resisted when newly introduced but later strongly supported by communities when they have had a chance to understand how impressive their benefits are and how meagre their adverse effects are. Bloomberg Narrative followers have an easy time now opposing tobacco harm reduction. But the prohibitionists are going to find that they will continue losing support as time goes by.
Great point Alan. “WHO’s surveillance systems, indicators, and prevalence targets are designed to quantify existing harm, not to measure lives saved before tragedy strikes.”
This is a point I haven’t thought about much. Makes sense as to why the WHO fights harm reduction.