BY UE STUDIO
Monday, December 20, 2021 - 15:47
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And the data indicates that tobacco use remains almost unchanged over time.
This is clear at least from the Survey on Alcohol, Drugs and other Addictions in Spain (EDADES), prepared by the Ministry of Health.
According to this study, in 2020 approximately one in three people between the ages of 15 and 64 smoked daily.
A figure practically similar to that registered in 2017 and in 2015. The data show that a high percentage of smokers cannot or do not want to stop smoking.
Given these figures, it is necessary to take a step forward and advance in new strategies to tackle the problem of smoking.
End the smoke
For this specific group of adult smokers there is a new way to reduce the harmfulness of this addiction through the use of non-combustion and smokeless alternatives, but does a smoker know what is the most harmful thing about smoking? Many believe that it is nicotine that hurts the smoker the most. The truth is that, despite being a substance that causes addiction and is not harmless, there are other dangerous elements for smokers: the main cause of damage linked to smoking is the smoke that causes combustion. The conventional cigarette burns at high temperatures and generates smoke that contains chemical substances, which in a high percentage are harmful or potentially harmful. Therefore, by eliminating combustion and smoke,These products reduce the body's exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals compared to continuing to smoke.
Advances in science and technology have allowed the development of a series of alternative products that, without being risk free, have been scientifically proven to be a better alternative for smokers who cannot or do not want to give up their habit. These are non-combustion and smokeless products that contain nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes or heated tobacco, the emergence of which is generating an important debate about the role they should play in smoking control strategies.
The electronic cigarette consists of an electronic system that heats a liquid, which may or may not contain nicotine and which also contains other substances such as propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings and other additives.
Devices that heat tobacco do so at temperatures much lower than those achieved with traditional cigarettes.
Therefore, no combustion occurs and the aerosol that is released significantly reduces toxic substances compared to conventional cigarette smoke.
International Studies
The arrival of these products on the market has opened a debate that has led to independent international studies and research on the use of these alternative devices to traditional tobacco. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association compared the effects of heated tobacco, e-cigarettes, and burning based on six parameters. According to the results obtained, the use of heated tobacco or electronic cigarette reduces the impact, compared to the conventional cigarette, in terms of oxidative stress, platelet activation and blood pressure. Likewise, the effect of heated tobacco and, to a lesser extent, of the electronic cigarette, on blood pressure was less evident than that of the traditional combustion cigarette,while heated tobacco seemed more satisfying than e-cigarette.
A study by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment published in 2018 in the "Archives of Toxicology" concluded that smokeless tobacco heating devices contain lower levels of harmful and potentially harmful components compared to conventional cigarettes .
In addition to the studies carried out in different countries, an increasing number of authorities have been creating a new regulatory framework on these so-called reduced risk products.
A paradigmatic case is found in the United States where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers the potential of non-combustion nicotine products as better alternatives to continuing to smoke.
For their part, the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Greece -among others-, already make a differentiation between these devices without combustion and conventional tobacco and are open to the possibility of their use to reduce the harm in those smokers who, in any case, they will maintain their addiction.
Fight misinformation
In the case of Spain, there is enormous misinformation about the alternatives. According to a survey carried out by Povaddo in Spain, with the support of Philip Morris International 1, Spaniards support more innovative approaches to reduce smoking rates. Nearly one in two respondents say they have received unclear references to e-cigarettes or tobacco warming products in the past six months. About 8 out of 10 would consider switching to these alternatives if they had more information about their differences with the traditional cigarette, and 77% of Spaniards admit that smokers should have access and accurate information about those smokeless alternatives that scientifically prove to be a better option compared to continuing to smoke.
72% of Spaniards affirm that, if there is a possibility of ending with cigarettes in a period of 10-15 years -either because smokers abandon their habit or because they choose to switch to better scientifically validated alternatives-, the authorities should dedicate time and resources to make it happen.
Dr Moira Gilchrist, Vice President, Strategic & Scientific Communications, Philip Morris International considers it very important to fight this misinformation to tackle the problem of smoking.
"Science and technology have allowed us to develop smoke-free products that, while not without risk, are a better option than cigarettes for men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke," says Moira Gilchrist.
The vice president says that we all agree that the best option for people who smoke is to quit cigarettes and nicotine altogether, but for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke "it is crucial to make sure that they can at least get information reliable and science-based about the choices they can make for themselves. The range of smoke-free alternatives available today allows us to envision a future where cigarettes no longer exist. We must not allow confusion, misinformation and Lack of accurate information will stand in the way of progress, "concludes Moira Gilchrist.
[1] Philip Morris online survey was conducted by Povaddo and was conducted between December 8 and 24, 2020.
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