Millions of smokers worldwide are quitting by using tobacco harm reduction products. Now it’s up to countries in the Americas to join them.
THR health policies in practice
Worldwide research shows that although more than 70% of smokers want to quit, only 4-7% succeed. Governments that have adopted THR policies are seeing the smoking rates drop thanks to nicotine alternatives.
In the US, it is predicted that 1.8 million lives will be saved as a result of vaping between 2013 and 2060. This is the equivalent to 38.9 million life-years.
The decline in smoking rates among young people in the US correlates with increased use of vaping.
The selling of e-cigarettes is outlawed in many Latin American countries. It is banned in major countries like Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela.
This is despite the fact that approximately 12% of adult deaths in Latin America are attributed to smoking-related diseases. By reversing the widespread prohibition of e-cigarettes in this region, this number could be reduced significantly.
The widespread prohibition of e-cigarettes, coupled with a lack of research from the region, means that there is little evidence in relation to Tobacco Harm Reduction in Latin America. This is despite the fact that there are approximately 145 million smokers in the region.
An individual who smokes may not be ready to quit but may be ready to take action in some way to reduce risk. A study in Brazil has shown that only 18% of smokers in Brazil intend to quit.
44% of Brazilian smokers see e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes.
The Pan American Region Needs To Act
One of the main problems affecting the Pan American region is the use of combustible tobacco and the very restrictive regulation of less harmful alternatives, with widespread bans in some countries and excessive taxation in others.
Switching to less harmful products and/or quitting tobacco altogether can save hundreds of millions of lives.
In Argentina, Antigua, Barbuda, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, e-cigarettes are entirely banned.
In Chile, e-cigarettes are only available by prescription from a GP.
In the United States some cities like San Francisco have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while entire states have banned flavoured e-liquids
Adult smokers deserve access to reliable, accurate information about reduced-risk products.
Modelling shows that progressive vaping policies can help:
6.4 million smokers quit in the United States of America
5.6 million smokers quit in Brazil
3.4 million smokers quit in Mexico
1.7 million smokers quit in Chile
THR regulation principles
THR regulation should aim to maximise the number of smokers switching to safer, smoke-free products;
Public health strategies should focus on addressing misperceptions that hamper adult smokers from adoption of potentially harm reducing smoke-free products;
It should also strike the balance between ensuring that nicotine products remain accessible and as safe as possible without compromising their appeal to smokers.
THR product regulation should be:
Science-based
Proportionate to the degree of risk to the consumer
Based on applying the most restrictive regulations to the most harmful product (i.e. cigarettes)
Based on applying the least restrictive regulations for the least harmful products
Protect youth from initiation
The UK has the most advanced THR regulation in the world and is a leading case study for how nicotine products can be used to reduce smoking rates.
