A recent research study titled 'Tobacco Control Harm Reduction' revealed that adopting a tobacco harm reduction (THR) strategy has the potential to save more than 1.2 million lives in Pakistan.
This important research study was launched at an event organized by tobaccoharmreduction.net in London, and an online session was held in Pakistan to discuss its findings. According to a news release, this study provides compelling evidence for including harm reduction measures as a core component of comprehensive tobacco control.
Dr. Derek Yach, principal author of the report, pointed out that traditional methods of tobacco control have reached a plateau, even though smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death worldwide. Governments already have the tools for change, Yach emphasized. They just need to recognize that tobacco harm reduction products, already used by 150 million people globally, play a vital role in addressing this crisis.
Smoking currently kills more than 8.5 million people each year, and the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that number will rise to 10 million in the next five years. However, the integration of harm reduction offers an alternative pathway, indicating that a significant number of lives could be saved in Pakistan by adopting THR.
Dr. Dylan Human, a key contributor to the report, said relying solely on tobacco control measures is insufficient to tackle the deep-seated cigarette epidemic. He stressed the need to complement these efforts with comprehensive harm reduction measures. This includes making less harmful alternatives such as vaping and nicotine pouches accessible, acceptable and affordable, as well as implementing proactive measures for early cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Britain serves as a perfect example of what THR can achieve. E-cigarettes are actively recommended as a prevention tool for adults wanting to quit smoking, resulting in a significant 20% drop in smoking rates in less than a decade. reduced to 12 percent.
Dr. Human's message and recommendation is clear: We must not abandon tobacco control but augment it with effective harm reduction strategies. Policymakers around the world have both a moral responsibility and a practical means to take action. Adopting harm reduction strategies has the potential to change the narrative, from grim statistics to real stories of lives saved."
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