Vapeboss – In the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR): The Right Side of History 2022 study, it is stated that alternative tobacco products are the most popular approach to reducing tobacco harm. This is a biennial report series from the UK-based public health research institute, Knowledge Action Change (KAC).

"Following the No Fire, No Smoke study in 2018 and Burning Issues in 2020, this third study discusses strategies that can accelerate smoking cessation to reduce illness and death from smoking worldwide. One of these is technological innovation to produce alternative tobacco products as an effort to reduce health risks," said the study's author, Harry Shapiro.

This study focuses on a systematic review of lower-risk ways to consume nicotine. A smoker can reduce tobacco harm by using alternative tobacco products such as e-cigarettes to achieve a better quality of life.

The study states that diseases caused by smoking are not related to nicotine, but rather to TAR or other chemicals produced when tobacco is burned.

Therefore, alternative tobacco products can be used as a tool for tobacco harm reduction, and this is also an evidence-based public health action.

"Tobacco harm reduction by providing smokers with alternative products has the potential to save even more lives," he added.

Furthermore, the study also highlights the slow formation of regulations related to alternative tobacco products in various countries. Stakeholders need to immediately create specific regulations for alternative tobacco products related to tobacco harm reduction.

The existence of specific regulations for alternative tobacco products can serve as a reference for manufacturers and consumers for the supervision and regulation of alternative tobacco products. In addition, opposition to the existence of such regulations can be called misinformation.

"Every smoker has the right to access low-risk products that have been proven to be one of the most effective tools to switch from smoking habits. Therefore, tobacco harm reduction through the use of alternative tobacco products is the right risk control effort," concluded Shapiro.