THR Would Save Lives
Tobacco harm reduction policies would save 464,000 lives in Uzbekistan, says new report by the experts at Smoke Free Sweden
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by Dave Cross
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Tobacco harm reduction policies would save 464,000 lives in Uzbekistan, says new report by the experts at Smoke Free Sweden and THR.net. The adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) measures, including greater access to nicotine alternatives such as vapes, would help to save 464,000 lives in Uzbekistan, the authors of the major new piece of research state.
Leading international experts who conducted the study say THR should be a central component of tobacco control in the country, where the government is instead drafting a law banning the import, sale and production of e-cigarettes and tobacco heating systems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the annual number of tobacco-related deaths in Uzbekistan will average at 20,000 by 2060.
The new study, titled: Lives Saved Report: Tobacco Harm Reduction and Better Treatment Could Save Nearly 880,000 Lives by 2060 in Malaysia and Uzbekistan details how that toll could be massively reduced by incorporating THR into public health policymaking.
Dr Derek Yach, one of the authors of the report, said: “In order to curb the smoking rates in Uzbekistan, it is clear that a fresh approach to tobacco harm reduction is required. This includes making less harmful alternative products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, more accessible, acceptable and affordable to smokers wishing to switch.”
Sweden provides a strong example of what effective and practical tobacco harm reduction strategies can accomplish. Later this year, Sweden’s smoking rate is expected to drop below 5%, the point at which the country can be officially deemed smoke free. Key to this reduction in smoking levels has been the availability of snus, a smokeless tobacco product.
Dr Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden said: “The onus is now on the Uzbek government to enhance its current tobacco control measures with proven harm reduction strategies. By offering smokers safer alternatives, policymakers have a timely opportunity to provide a crucial lifeline to 464,000 Uzbek smokers.”
References:
- Lives Saved Report: Tobacco harm reduction and better treatment could save nearly 880,000 lives up to 2060 in Malaysia and Uzbekistan - https://media.thr.net/strapi/0ff08c0aeeaf754c5e1d42566a271144.pdf
Photo Credit:
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave 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.
