Tag: Smoking Cessation

Africa Cannot Afford Another Year of Delay: The Case for Embracing Safer Nicotine Alternatives

Healthtimes

By Joseph Magero, Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) As another year ends, it’s important to reflect on Africa’s position in the global fight against smoking-related diseases. Unfortunately, the familiar pattern continues: while the rest of the world adopts modern harm reduction strategies, Africa remains significantly behind, stuck in outdated methods that don’t address current public health needs. Across Europe, North America, and parts of Asia, safer nicotine alternatives such as nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and snus have been widely available for years. Their effectiveness in helping smokers reduce…

Read More

Experts Criticize WHO for Ignoring Evidence on Safer Smoking Alternatives

Healthtimes

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been ignoring emerging scientific evidence on tobacco harm reduction. Experts say the organisation continues to enforce restrictions that are not fit for purpose, while global smoking rates remain high. Tobacco harm reduction refers to the use of safer alternatives to cigarettes, including e-cigarettes, vapes, heat-not-burn products, pouches, and snus. These products are designed to provide nicotine with fewer health risks than traditional smoking. Critics argue that COP…

Read More

The Right to Know: Why Access to Tobacco Harm Reduction Information Is a Matter of Human Rights

Healthtimes

By HealthTimes When forty-seven-year-old Idai Moyo from Harare finally managed to quit smoking after two decades, it wasn’t because she suddenly found the willpower that had eluded her for years. It was because she discovered something she hadn’t known existed — a smoke-free nicotine alternative that allowed her to move away from cigarettes gradually, without withdrawal or shame. No one told me,” she said. “If I’d known earlier, I would have stopped long ago.” Her words capture a moral dilemma at the heart of global tobacco control: why are millions…

Read More

WHO Clings to Outdated Dogma

Healthtimes

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma  When it came into effect in 2005, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was hailed as a landmark global health treaty. Two decades later, however, health experts say the treaty has largely failed to deliver on its promise to significantly reduce global smoking rates. The FCTC urged governments to adopt taxation, advertising bans, and other restrictive measures to curb smoking. Yet, despite widespread adoption, global tobacco use remains stubbornly high. Studies indicate that the FCTC has struggled to keep pace with…

Read More

PMI Chief Calls for Urgent Embrace of Smoke-Free Alternatives to Save Lives

Healthtimes

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma in Dubai Despite years of anti-smoking campaigns and strict tobacco control measures, the global number of smokers remains stubbornly high. According to peer-reviewed data, about 75 percent of those who attempt to quit relapse within six months. This persistent challenge, experts say, underscores the need for alternative solutions such as smoke-free products. Speaking at the Technovation Summit in Dubai, Philip Morris International (PMI) Chief Executive Officer Jacek Olczak urged governments and regulators to support the adoption of smoke-free alternatives for smokers who cannot or will not…

Read More