CAPHRA Call to Asia Pacific Governments

New Zealand's government recently agreed in principle to permit the sale of reduced-harm smokeless tobacco and oral nicotine products, such as Swedish snus and nicotine pouches. This progressive policy aligns with mounting evidence that these products can play a crucial role in reducing smoking rates and improving public health outcomes. 

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates said: “New Zealand's approach demonstrates how embracing tobacco harm reduction can accelerate progress towards smoke-free goals. Their smoking rates have plummeted to historic lows, proving that pragmatic policies focused on harm reduction work. 

“Recent data from New Zealand shows daily smoking rates have dropped to just 6.8%, down from 16.4% in 2011/12. This remarkable decline coincides with the country's adoption of progressive vaping regulations and openness to other reduced-risk nicotine products.”

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates  says scientific evidence increasingly supports the harm reduction potential of oral nicotine products, including a study published in Harm Reduction Journal which found that snus use in Sweden has led to "substantially lower rates of smoking-related disease" compared to other European countries. 

It goes on to add that research from the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom concluded that nicotine products are "unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco." 

Sweden: 

Dramatic Decline in Smoking Rates: Sweden has seen a remarkable decline in smoking rates over the past few decades. In the 1960s, nearly half of Swedish men smoked. By 2022, only 5.6% of Swedish adults smoked, a reduction largely attributed to the widespread use of snus and, more recently, nicotine pouches.

Norway: 

Youth Smoking Rates: Norway has also experienced a significant decline in smoking rates, particularly among young people. In 2021, only 1% of Norwegians aged 16-24 smoked daily, a testament to the effectiveness of alternative nicotine products like snus in reducing smoking initiation among youth.

Nancy Loucas added: “Asia Pacific nations have an opportunity to dramatically improve public health by allowing and properly regulating these products. Continuing to ban safer alternatives while deadly cigarettes remain widely available is counterproductive and harmful to public health.

“CAPHRA emphasises that regulations should ensure product quality and safety while making these alternatives accessible to adult smokers looking to quit. The organisation calls for a balanced approach that protects youth while helping millions of current smokers transition away from combustible tobacco.

“We urge policymakers across the region to objectively review the evidence and engage with consumers and experts in tobacco harm reduction," said Loucas. "It's time to move beyond outdated 'quit or die' approaches and embrace the full range of tools available to end the smoking epidemic.”

References:

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

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

View Articles

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.