Vapeboss – Alternative tobacco products are increasingly popular among the public. This is because these products are considered capable of reducing the number of smokers, especially adult smokers in Indonesia. Some innovations in alternative tobacco products include heated tobacco, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches. Many scientific studies state that these products have successfully made smokers switch from traditional tobacco smoking habits.

The Chairman of MASINDO (Indonesian Risk-Aware Society), Dimas Syailendra, hopes that alternative tobacco product innovations can be given a chance by the government as a solution to reduce smoking prevalence. He also mentioned that many scientific studies, both domestic and international, have stated that alternative tobacco products have a much lower risk compared to conventional cigarettes. Besides not involving combustion, the concept of alternative tobacco products also tends to reduce the risk from exposure to harmful substances by up to 95 percent.

"To address the smoking problem, the government needs to prioritize different strategies rather than just using tobacco control strategies. The implementation of this solution can begin by examining the potential of utilizing alternative tobacco products," he explained.

Dimas said that as an initial step, the government needs to increase scientific studies within the country involving various stakeholders in the alternative tobacco product industry and related parties. The results of these studies can serve as a reference for the government to formulate risk-based regulations that differentiate them from cigarettes.

As a reference, the government can study the regulations that have been implemented in several countries such as the UK, Japan, and New Zealand. Recently, the Philippines also passed regulations for alternative tobacco products based on scientific evidence and research findings.

"Science-based policies can improve public health quality and address the problem of smoking prevalence in Indonesia," Dimas said.

Beyond regulatory formulation, the results of scientific studies can be used as accurate information about alternative tobacco products accessible to the public. This is so that the public understands the benefits of alternative tobacco products and smokers become more aware of the risk difference between cigarettes and alternative tobacco products.

Dimas hopes that the government can provide a response and be open to the great potential of alternative tobacco products in addressing the high number of smokers.

"Otherwise, the worst outcome is that these products become misplaced and can be misused by irresponsible parties," he concluded.

Source: Sindonews