CAPHRA Showcasing Global Lessons

CAPHRA will be featured in PANEL 2: “GLOBAL LESSONS: WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES CAN LEARN FROM NEW ZEALAND AND SWEDEN,” following the release of Dr Marewa Glover's groundbreaking 'Road Map to a Smoke Free New Zealand' report. 

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates, said: “The Global Forum on Nicotine is an essential platform for countering the misinformation and disinformation about tobacco harm reduction. It brings together experts, consumer advocates, and policymakers to share evidence-based strategies that can save millions of lives.”

Key Highlights: 

New Zealand's Success - Dr Marewa Glover's report highlights how New Zealand has halved its smoking rates in just five years by embracing vaping and other reduced-risk nicotine products. This pragmatic approach has been particularly effective among Māori and Pacific communities, significantly reducing smoking-related health disparities. 

Sweden's Model - Sweden's innovative harm reduction strategies, including the widespread use of snus and nicotine pouches, have made it the first country to achieve smoke-free status, with smoking rates plummeting to just 5.6%. This model has saved millions of lives and can be replicated globally. 

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates says it is dedicated to promoting tobacco harm reduction across the Asia Pacific region. By sharing the success stories of New Zealand and Sweden, we aim to inspire other countries to adopt innovative, life-saving policies that reduce the global burden of smoking-related diseases. 

Nancy Loucas concluded: “New Zealand and Sweden have shown the world that harm reduction works. It's time for other countries to follow their lead and embrace these life-saving policies.”

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. Its mission is to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.

CAPHRA says that it remains committed to advocating for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases. 

The organisation adds: “We encourage further research, open dialogue, and collaboration with governments, health organisations, and stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcomes for public health.”

References:

• Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/   

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.