Tag: Tobacco Harm Reduction

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while the rest of the world adopts modern harm reduction strategies, Africa remains significantly behind, stuck in outdated methods that don’t address current public health needs.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…

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Do as I Say, Not What’s Best: The Perils of Philanthro-Colonialism at COP11

Michael Gwarisa

By Own Correspondent  As the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) concluded last week, experts on the sidelines raised concerns about the misuse of Article 5.3, which has increasingly hindered engagement with diverse stakeholders. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) restrictive interpretation of this article has effectively limited meaningful dialogue between governments and non-state actors, including researchers, harm reduction advocates and industry representatives. Experts argue that this approach stifles evidence-based policymaking, prevents countries from exploring safer alternatives and reinforces a one-size-fits-all prohibitionist…

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Sweden Shows the World That Tobacco Harm Reduction Works

Michael Gwarisa

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma Sweden has become a global reference point for effective tobacco harm reduction, achieving some of the lowest smoking rates while many countries continue to struggle. Their success is largely attributed to a pragmatic approach that encourages smokers to switch from combustible cigarettes to significantly lower-risk alternatives such as snus and regulated nicotine products. Data shows that daily smoking rates have dropped sharply, resulting in notable improvements in public health. This discussion took centre stage on Day 4 of the Good COP 2.0, held concurrently with the…

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Health Experts Warn WHO Against Full Tobacco Ban and Call for Balanced Regulation

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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma For decades, global public health experts have agreed on one thing: banning a dangerous substance rarely eliminates its use. It often pushes the trade underground, where governments lose visibility and control. Regulation, however, gives policymakers room to monitor, manage and gradually reduce harm. This tension now sits at the center of a growing global debate. As the World Health Organization (WHO) considers tightening international controls on tobacco production under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), major tobacco-producing economies fear that sweeping restrictions could trigger economic…

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Experts Criticize WHO for Ignoring Evidence on Safer Smoking Alternatives

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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…

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

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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…

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Why Harm Reduction Matters More in Africa

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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ACTA) defines Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) as a public health strategy aimed at lowering the health risks to individuals and society associated with combustible tobacco products. This approach is based on the understanding that most harm linked to tobacco use comes from the chemicals released and inhaled when tobacco is burned. By removing the burning or smoking element, the risks from tobacco consumption are significantly reduced. ACTA further notes that THR acknowledges a critical reality: many adults who smoke and wish…

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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…

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Oncologists Should Lead the Tobacco Harm Reduction Discourse

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Nicotine Isn’t the Enemy: World Expert Corrects a Century of Misconception

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma A leading French oncologist has called on cancer specialists worldwide to take an active role in Tobacco Harm Reduction and help correct misconceptions about nicotine and its link to cancer. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 Technovation Summit in Dubai, Professor David Khayat, an oncologist at Pierre et Marie University in Paris, said oncologists have a duty to promote science-based communication around smoking and nicotine use. We as oncologists have to trust science, and science says nicotine does not cause cancer, so let’s stick to…

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

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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…

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