ASIAN GOV’TS PRESSED TO ADOPT HARM REDUCTION MEASURES

With smoking still prevalent in Asia despite several measures to curb the vice such as strict regulations, high taxes and graphic warnings, governments in the region are being urged to adopt harm reduction as part of tobacco control initiatives in their public health policies.

Experts from the fields of science, technology, health and the academe from across Asia and the Pacific issued the call during the 2nd Asia Harm Reduction Forum held Thursday at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City.

“Tobacco harm reduction is currently not maximized and implemented as policy. There is much work to be done in encouraging society and legislators to adopt harm reduction in public policy,” said Rep. Anthony Bravo (Coop-Nattco partylist), who delivered the keynote speech during the forum.

Effective solution

Bravo is among several local legislators advocating the integration of tobacco harm reduction measures, particularly the use of electronic cigarettes (ecigarettes or vapes), in the country’s National Tobacco Control Strategy.

Bravo said he hoped that Congress would treat this issue with urgency.

“Regulators need to see that tobacco harm reduction is potentially the most effective solution to solving the smoking epidemic in Asia and can complement existing tobacco control measures,” said Prof. Ron Christian Sison, lead convenor, Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines (Harap).

Harap and hati Kesehatan Publik Indonesia (YPKP-Indonesian Public Health Observer Foundation) organized the forum.

Australia, Singapore and Thailand have banned the use of e-cigarettes.

New Zealand experience

After initially banning e-liquids and Swedish snus, the New Zealand Ministry of Health (MOH) now considers vaping products as having the potential to lower the country’s smoking prevalence rate to less than 5 percent by 2025.

New Zealand’s smoking prevalence rate is down to 15.7 percent, said Dr. Marewa Glover, Director, Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking.

“In Japan and South Korea where alternative tobacco products are widely available, smoking prevalence rates have dropped sharply. In Singapore and Australia which have banned e-cigarettes, smoking prevalence rates have remained unchanged,” said Andrew Da Roza of Promises Healthcare (Singapore).

Popularity

Heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco products are now popular in Japan where cigarettes sales have dropped by 27 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 from a year ago. The same is true with South Korea. about 20,000 people give up smoking a year because of ecigarettes, he said.

Dr. Hiraya Kumamaru, vice director of AOI Universal Hospital (Japan), said HNB could be an alternative not only to help smokers quit, but also toward cessation.

Samrat Chowdery of the Association of Vapers India said there are around a million users of e-cigarettes.

“Despite government bans and restrictive policies, awareness on tobacco harm reduction is increasing and more smokers are switching to reduced harm products,” he said.

Addressing challenges

A study in India that surveyed 3,000 vapers showed positive experience on the use of e-cigarettes.

“Evidence shows that tobacco harm reduction products are at least 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes. Switching completely from smoking to vaping provides substantial health benefits,” said Prof. Tikki Pangestu, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. —A. NOEL VELASCO INQ