Harnessing tobacco harm reduction

Harm reduction is a successful public health strategy, for example, in minimising the harms of drug use. Tobacco harm reduction should, therefore, be a central strategy of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in addition to the measures for demand and supply reduction which are necessary, but not sufficient. WHO FCTC has been influential in encouraging a global response to tobacco control, but it has been challenging to show a strong and consistent association between the implementation of FCTC measures and smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption outcomes.