Stories

Adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) measures, including greater access to nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarettes, would help to save 416,000 lives in Malaysia, according to major new research. The WHO projects that smoking prevalence in Malaysia will increase, from 29.7% in 2020 to 30% in 2025, and 18,000 lives will be lost annually by 2060.

The new tobacco-free sticks have sparked controversy since they can bypass most taxes and regulations imposed on similar products, due to the fact that they do not contain tobacco.

Researchers at the Institute for Social Marketing and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, at the University of Stirling, and Trilateral Research Ltd, based in London, have published a research paper in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health journal looking at how social care workers are still being exposed to secondhand smoke. A leading harm reduction expert has commented on how vaping could play a role in improving the situation.

Reduced-risk tobacco-free products, such as vapes and nicotine pouches, are proven to be the most successful tool for helping smokers make the critical switch from traditional cigarettes to less harmful alternatives. These innovative products offer a lifeline to millions, providing a way to satisfy nicotine cravings without exposing users to the carcinogens and harmful toxins found in combustible tobacco. Yet, some opponents seem intent on overlooking this lifesaving potential, fixating instead on a misguided opposition to anything related to nicotine consumption. It is crucial to (...)

Brazil may be finally regulating vaping products, lifting a ban which has been in place since 2009. This is significant given that this is the largest country in a continent which tends to lean towards vape prohibition.

The webinar discusses the topics of the Tobacco Harm Reduction and enhanced treatment that could save nearly 880,000 lives in Malaysia and Uzbekistan by 2060 featuring guest speakers Dr. Derek Yach, Prof. Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, and Dr. Delon Human.

The 2023 Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed an increase in traditional tobacco use among high school students, with 3% currently smoking cigarettes, while also noting declines compared to past years. Usage of cigars and smokeless tobacco has fluctuated, and vaping among youth peaked in 2019. Legislators are now (...)

(...) 3 in 5 businesses avoided fines after selling vapes to children last year, new report from leading vape company Vape Club finds. The data reveals a seven-fold rise in the number of businesses caught selling vapes to minors over the last four years – experts call for harsher penalties.

At the Global Forum on Nicotine 2024, Dr Frank Henkler-Stephani from BVTE had the opportunity to talk to Professor Gerry Stimson. For more than forty years, he has been a pioneer and leading expert on harm reduction in health policy, initially in the field of illegal drugs, where the focus was on preventing HIV and communicable diseases. He later recognised the great potential of e-cigarettes.

Just over half of British adults who quit smoking in the last five years used vapes to help them do so, according to a new national survey. An estimated 2.7 million people have quit cigarettes in this way since 2019.