Current tobacco control measures have not been as effective as expected
Most recently, a new study published at the 9th Annual Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw, Poland showed that the World Health Organization (WHO)'s tobacco control measures, called MPOWER, do not reduce the mortality rate from smoking in Europe.
The results of Dr. Ramström's analysis were presented to hundreds of delegates and more than 50 international experts in the field of Tobacco Science and Nicotin at the " Global Nicotin Forum". Accordingly, when European countries implement MPOWER measures from the WHO, the mortality rate from smoking among women will not decrease, and the mortality rate among men, although decreased, will be very small, almost insignificant.
The discovery adds evidence that the WHO needs to review its tobacco harm reduction strategy by promoting the use of safer nicotine-containing tobacco products to replace conventional cigarettes.
Stop smoking: The role of harm reducing products is indispensable
In addition to calling on the WHO to re-evaluate the current tobacco control strategy, also at this forum, the role of harm reduction products to replace cigarettes was discussed enthusiastically and affirmed that this will be a factor to end the era of smoking.
Accordingly, data and evidence published up to now show that this is a more feasible approach for smokers. It is known that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also evaluated data on a technology cigarette and allowed this product to be sold in this country as a risk-adjusting product, minimizing exposure to harmful chemicals in cigarettes to the health of smokers.
The National Institute of Health and Care Quality (NICE), the Ministry of Health of Japan... has also officially allowed the sale of these smoke-free products to replace cigarettes, because it has applied technology to eliminate the burning process, the root cause of diseases related to smoking.
In the field of cardiology, studies on harm reduction products to replace cigarettes applying burning elimination technology have been published in prestigious journals around the world such as the European Heart Journal, the European Journal of Medicine, etc. In particular, a notable study published in the prestigious journal Circulation is a study conducted by over 5 million smokers to assess the link between changes in the habit of using non-combusing tobacco products (or products containing non-combusing nicotine) and conventional burnt cigarettes with the risk of cardiovascular disease in the short term.
The results of this massive study show that switching to non-combusiness products in people who have quit smoking has a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than continuing to smoke.
Of course, quitting smoking and nicotine is still best.
With the current situation of illness and death caused by cigarettes still occurring globally, doctors cannot accept the "smoking or dying" approach as the only option for their patients. When meeting a patient who smokes, doctors will definitely advise the patient to quit smoking. But in reality, for every 10 people who are advised and applyed smoking consultation and support measures, only less than 3 people are truly smoking completely. Obviously, people will pursue unhealthy behaviors to some extent, including smoking, which is inevitable.
Thus, instead of letting smokers choose between "smoking" or "death", if science has shown a third way that can help reduce the harm to them, then from the perspective of doctors and scientists, the third way is the most appropriate measure. Cigarettes are something that patients should do, but if they can't or are not ready, we should find a solution to help them reduce the consequences of their unhealthy behavior.
Obviously, there is more and more scientific evidence showing that the approach to reducing the harmful effects of tobacco with cigarette alternatives for smokers is a more feasible and humane strategy, prioritizing consideration of human aspirations and needs. Therefore, over time, this approach will quickly spread globally. This is also the affirmation from experts around the world at the recent Nicotin Global Forum 2022.
