Introduce THR strategy to fight smoking: Experts

For the first time, a Tobacco Harm Reduction Summit was held in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss a new strategy towards achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of a ‘smoke-free Bangladesh’ by 2040.

It publicised the effective role of tobacco harm reduction (THR), as distinct from other strategies aimed at eradication, can play in fighting the scourge of smoking. THR can be implemented side-by-side with traditional strategies.

The summit was organised by Asia Harm Reduction Alliance.

THR is a public health strategy to reduce or minimise the health risks to individuals and wider society associated with conventional tobacco products. It amplifies the value of smoking cessation, but where smokers are unwilling or unable to quit, they can switch to innovative smoke-free technologies that deliver nicotine without the harmful bits - i.e. the smoke or tar.

Currently, the UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and many other progressive nations of the world are encouraging the use of such products to reduce smoking incidence by regulating them through a risk-proportionate regulatory framework.

Moderated by Dr Delon Human, the event featured globally renowned public health experts like Dr Derek Yach, Prof Mihaela Raescu, Dr Kgosi Letlape, Dr Marewa Glover, Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, Michael Landl, Masud-Uz-Zaman, Federico Fernandez with representation in the audience from different ministries and other institutions such as Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).

Dr Derek Yach, former WHO Cabinet Director and the person who co-led the development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) said, “Harm reduction strategies have always been part of the FCTC and tobacco control, but thus far not fully implemented. Bangladesh has the opportunity to translate its economic transformation into accelerating tobacco control through harm reduction. It will save lives.”

Dr Delon Human, an adviser on global public health strategies to three Directors-General of the WHO and to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, said, “With traditional tobacco control, there is little to no hope to achieve the aim of a smoke free world by 2040. Frankly, this is a death sentence for the almost 1.4 billion current smokers in the world, which include 20 million kind citizens of Bangladesh. How can this message of doom be turned into one of hope? By fully integrating harm reduction policies, science and regulated products into tobacco control.”

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, a Greek cardiologist and the most cited THR researcher in the world suggested, “The evidence is clear, smoke free nicotine alternatives such as vaping products are at least 95% less harmful than cigarettes and the preferred method of quitting for most smokers.”