In addition to reducing demand, reducing harm is also solving the global tobacco burden
For decades, the harmful effects of cigarettes have been a global problem that many countries are joining hands to solve. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to guide countries in implementing activities towards tobacco control through a trio of strategies: reducing supply, reducing demand and reducing harm.
In particular, WHO prioritizes reducing supply by increasing cigarette taxes, reducing demand through measures to propagate the harmful effects and support smoking withdrawal. Accordingly, WHO called on countries to strongly implement this strategic orientation over the years. The latest report shows that the WHO's goal of reducing the smoking rate by 30% by 2025 still cannot be achieved as expected. Experts say that this data proves that this approach has many limitations.
Applying WHO's tobacco control policy, in the period of 2005-2020, Thailand has implemented 15 strict measures, including 8 tax increases to reduce demand along with many measures to tighten consumers' access to tobacco and nicotine products. However, the actual results were far from expectations. Over the past 11 years (from 2006 to 2017), the smoking rate in Thailand has decreased by only 2.8%, equivalent to an average of 0.25% per year.
Ineffective tobacco control policies are one of the reasons why the Thai government is facing criticism from domestic public opinion.
Also following WHO's policies, Vietnam is currently in the group of 10 countries with the highest rate of death from smoking, surpassing China - the most populous country and with high tobacco consumption globally, according to the report "urgent issues - Global situation on Tobacco Harm Reduction - GSTHR" by the Knowledge Action Change - KAC.
Meanwhile, countries that have applied the approach of "reducing harm" by non-smoked tobacco products have proven to be significantly effective. According to recorded data in the UK, the launch of smoke-free products including heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes has helped the smoking rate decrease by nearly 5% over the past 5 years to a decrease of more than 14% in 2020.
Similarly, Japan has been commercializing non-smoked cigarettes since 2014. Data from Frost & Sullivan Market Research Company in November 2020 showed that between 2015 and 2019, total cigarette sales in this market have decreased by 34%.
Go out first or miss opportunities
As the third pillar of the tobacco control strategy proposed by WHO itself, smoking harm reduction has passed the review and skepticism stage and is entering the implementation and adjustment stage. Experts say that if only the first two pillars of WHO's strategy of reducing supply and reducing demand are followed, countries will continue to miss opportunities to improve people's health. It is known that at the beginning of this year, the Uruguayan government also lifted the ban on heated tobacco products in the context of strict management of all tobacco products in general.
Accordingly, all ministers, including the country's Ministry of Health, felt the need to be responsible for public health by seeking tools to provide practical solutions to the problem of smoking, including solutions and products that replace burnt cigarettes researched and developed by tobacco companies themselves.
Currently, 66 countries allow the trade of heated tobacco products, and 43 of these have joined the FCTC Framework Convention. This shows that a significant proportion of member countries of the FCTC Framework Convention of WHO still pursue the strategy of reducing harm and do not conservatively implement each reducing demand policy. In particular, accepting smoke-free products as a substitute for cigarettes is the strategic step they are taking.
It is time for countries, especially those with high tobacco consumption rates like Vietnam, to consider additional measures to "reduc harm" in addition to "reducing demand" to make tobacco control strategies more comprehensive, practical and effective.
