Pakistan Alliance for Tobacco Harm Reduction (PANTHR) has called for sensibly regulating tobacco harm reduction (THR) products, as the availability of safer alternative nicotine products can assist adult smokers in quitting combustible smoking.
PANTHR, a project of the Alternative Research Initiative, is an alliance of organizations working to end combustible smoking in Pakistan.
In a statement, the alliance said by integrating harm reduction principles, Pakistan can lessen the burden of disease and death caused by combustible smoking. The alliance said a negative position on THR and safer nicotine alternatives would only deny adult smokers a chance to choose safer products.
The alliance said it would support balanced regulation of the THR products in order to allow adult smokers access to safer nicotine products and at the same time prevent unintended populations such as youth or never smokers from initiating their use.
The number of tobacco users in Pakistan reached 31 million. Of them, 17 million are cigarette smokers. The total cost of all smoking-attributable to diseases and deaths in 2019 in Pakistan was 3.85 billion dollars.
PANTHR maintained that risk-reduced products are available as an off-ramp to adult smokers in Europe and North America. However, in many Asia-Pacific countries, these products are either banned or not regulated as a better alternative to those smokers who otherwise are unable or unwilling to quit. The statement said the focus of the regulation should be to help adult smokers to quit or switch to less harmful alternatives.
It said in Sweden smoking rates have fallen below 5% as the country is on track to become smoke-free. This is an outcome of Sweden’s thoughtful approach to THR, as highlighted by its recent decision to cut taxes on snus, a less harmful tobacco alternative.
The statement said a smoke-free Pakistan is possible to achieve before 2030 provided the country ensures effective cessation services are accessible and affordable, and THR is made part of the national tobacco control policy.
