Read articles from Global

July 31, 2026 by gfn.tv

Prohibition can give the impression of control while making the underlying risks harder to manage. When legal access to safer nicotine products is restricted, demand does not disappear; it can shift towards illicit supply, misinformation or continued cigarette use. That is where public health loses ground: not in the intention to reduce harm, but in the failure to account for real-world behaviour. Effective policy should reduce risk where people actually are, not where theory assumes they should be.

July 31, 2026 by substack.com

Safer nicotine did not appear out of nowhere. Its history is shaped by smokers looking for alternatives, scientists measuring risk, and policies that often struggled to keep up with both. From snus to vaping and nicotine pouches, the same lesson keeps returning: removing combustion can change the health equation. Understanding that history matters, because the future of tobacco policy should not repeat the mistakes that kept cigarettes at the centre for so long.

July 30, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu

The most “terrifying” thing about nicotine may be how poorly it is understood. Public fear often focuses on nicotine itself, while the far greater danger comes from inhaling smoke produced by combustion. That misunderstanding has consequences: smokers may avoid lower-risk alternatives because they believe nicotine is the main cause of smoking-related disease. Better public health communication should separate dependence from harm, and fear from evidence.

July 30, 2026 by gfn.tv

What is actually inside a nicotine pouch matters more than the assumptions around it. Ingredients, formulation and exposure need to be examined transparently, especially as pouches become part of the wider harm reduction debate. Scrutiny is necessary, but it should be specific: what is in the product, how it is used, and how its risks compare with combustible tobacco. Good regulation starts with chemistry and evidence, not suspicion by category.

July 28, 2026 by gfn.tv

Harm reduction cannot only reach the people easiest to reach. Marginalised communities often face the highest burden of smoking-related harm, while also having less access to trusted healthcare, stable support and practical quitting routes. Tobacco harm reduction has to be built with those realities in mind: affordable options, credible messengers and policies that do not add stigma to disadvantage. Reducing harm means reaching the people public health too often misses.

July 27, 2026 by substack.com

High-powered vaping devices are easy to frame as alarming because they produce more vapour and use more energy. But risk cannot be judged by appearance alone. The safety question depends on measured emissions, exposure conditions, device operation and how results compare with continued smoking. Sub-ohm vaping should be assessed through data and realistic use patterns, not assumptions that bigger clouds automatically mean greater harm.

July 27, 2026 by substack.com

Power, temperature and device design are often discussed as if they automatically translate into higher danger. With sub-ohm vaping, the more important question is what the evidence actually shows about emissions, exposure and real-world use. High-powered devices should be assessed carefully, but not through assumptions that ignore how experienced users control settings, airflow and liquid consumption. Safety debates need measurements, context and comparison with the risks of continued smoking.

July 24, 2026 by gfn.tv

Smoking among people who use drugs, such as heroin users in England, contributes significantly to premature deaths. Despite this, smoking is often overlooked in drug treatment services. David MacKintosh from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction suggests incorporating safer nicotine options to improve health outcomes and longevity. Drug service providers face challenges in addressing smoking alongside drug issues due to resource constraints. Encouraging harm reduction services to consider smoking cessation could yield positive results. Smoking-related deaths in this population are comparable to drug-related deaths, highlighting the need for comprehensive support and awareness. The Global Forum on Nicotine fosters discussions on harm reduction approaches with a focus on consumer perspectives.

July 24, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu

Heart risk is not shaped by nicotine alone. A review linking full switching from smoking to vaping with lower cardiovascular risk reinforces the central point of harm reduction: combustion is the major driver of disease. The distinction between dual use and complete switching also matters, because public health gains depend on moving away from cigarettes, not simply adding another product. Risk communication should be clear enough to help smokers understand that difference.

July 23, 2026 by substack.com

Doubt can be manufactured in more than one direction. In nicotine policy, selective evidence and repeated uncertainty can make lower-risk products appear more dangerous than they are, while the risks of continued smoking fade into the background. That matters because public understanding shapes regulation, and regulation shapes whether smokers see switching as credible. Public health should challenge misinformation without becoming a source of it.