BY EU STUDIO
Updated Monday, September 26, 2022-10:30
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When it comes to smoking, there is no doubt that it is harmful and that the best health decision any adult smoker can make will always be to quit smoking and the use of tobacco and nicotine products altogether.
But for those adult smokers who, otherwise, are going to continue their smoking habit, there is a third way that more and more advanced countries are betting on: reducing the harm associated with smoking.
The World Health Organization (WHO) calculates that in 2025 more than a billion people will continue to smoke, the same number as today or in the last two decades, and this despite prevention policies (aimed at people do not start smoking) and cessation (aimed at getting smokers to give up the habit), and despite knowing the harm to health.
Therefore, in a complementary way to these strategies, a third way opens up aimed at adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke: make available all the verified information that we have today, so that they can make informed decisions so that they can switch to better alternatives.
In this sense, it should be noted that more and more public authorities from different countries, based on the available scientific evidence on smoke-free alternatives, recognize their potential to reduce the harm of smoking and are committed to it.
For example, the health authorities of the United Kingdom, although it is a country that has one of the strictest regulations regarding cigarettes, are open to the possibility of using electronic cigarettes as a tool to reduce harm. in those adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke.
Ending smoking is a challenge in which numerous professionals are working.
Another relevant case is that of the United States, where the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency responsible for protecting public health, made a historic decision on a heating system of tobacco, authorizing its marketing as a "Modified Risk Tobacco Product" ("MRTP"), with a reduced exposure message.
Specifically, after having reviewed all of the available scientific evidence, the FDA concluded that this tobacco heating system is fundamentally different compared to cigarettes, noting that: "
That is why, for smoke-free options to be effective, they must have scientific backing that certifies their potential to be less harmful than cigarettes, and they must be satisfactory enough for the smoker to switch completely and quit.
However, these smoke-free alternatives are not designed to stop smoking, but rather are a way to reduce the harm associated with smoking for those adults who are going to continue smoking otherwise.
But what are these smoke-free options?
Currently, we find several types of alternatives, among the best known we can highlight electronic cigarettes and tobacco heating devices.
The key to these alternatives is that they prevent combustion and, therefore, do not emit smoke, but rather an aerosol or vapor whose levels of harmful substances are lower when compared to those present in cigarette smoke.
Saying goodbye to smoke is key.
Around 6,000 chemical substances are released with the combustion of the cigarette, when lighting it with the lighter, reaching temperatures of more than 800ºC and, of these released substances, 100 have been identified as harmful or potentially harmful.
And it is precisely this high level of harmful chemicals that are considered to be the main causes of diseases related to smoking.
A researcher at the Philip Morris R&D center.
The aerosol or vapor emitted by electronic cigarettes and tobacco heating devices is produced after avoiding these very high temperatures, so there is no smoke, as we have already mentioned.
But it is important to note that these alternatives are not harmless and with their use, nicotine is inhaled[2], which is addictive and not without risk, although it is not the main cause of smoking-related illnesses.
Therefore, they should only be used by those adult smokers who would otherwise continue to use tobacco in its most harmful form: cigarettes.
The data seem to support the potential of smoke-free alternatives to contribute to the decline in cigarette consumption.
Japan is an example of a country with high acceptance rates for smoke-free products, specifically tobacco heating devices.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey of this country, a decrease in the consumption of traditional cigarettes has been observed in recent years, reaching a reduction of 13.1% in 2019.
In the last five years the prevalence of smoking has been reduced considerably in Japan.
The numbers also point to similar behavior in the UK.
Electronic cigarettes landed on British soil about ten years ago.
The country's National Statistics Office estimated, in 2011, a prevalence of smoking of 19.8%, while in 2019 it had dropped to 13.9%.
Progress in the fight against smoking is achieved day by day.
Smoke-free alternatives are a tool with great potential and, for these options to be known by adult smokers, who would otherwise continue with the habit, the support of public authorities is essential.
For this reason, it is essential to provide adult smokers with accurate information based on scientific evidence that allows them to make informed decisions.
There is potential to help combat the public health impact of smoking if we succeed in complementing existing prevention and cessation strategies with a harm reduction approach that encourages adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to better alternatives, turning it into a positive impact on public health.
[1]FDA Authorizes Marketing of IQOS Tobacco Heating System with 'Reduced Exposure' Information |
FDA
[2] Nicotine is an addictive substance naturally present in the tobacco leaf.
Although it is not the main cause of diseases related to smoking, it is not harmless and is contraindicated for certain profiles (minor, pregnant, lactating, diabetic, people with hypertension or heart failure).
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This text has been developed by UE Studio, a creative branded content and content marketing firm from Editorial Unit, for PHILIP MORRIS SPAIN
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