Back to the Basics: Tobacco Harm Reduction or Smoking Cessation? Which Approach is Better?

So what is tobacco harm reduction? And, though often pitched as contrary to tobacco control and cessation, how does it work towards the same goal? As defined in the report Saving Lives, which uses the analogy of a fire escape for tobacco harm reduction, “THR science and products provide an evidence-based method for smokers to reduce the harm caused by smoking.” It reduces harm by relying on substitution – replacing more harmful products with considerably less harmful products. This scale of harm can also be viewed visually as a risk continuum, with THR encouraging “smokers to move down the risk continuum by switching from high-risk tobacco products to far less harmful nicotine products.” In fact, a study published in the Annual Review of Public Health found that the “risk continuum shows nicotine products can save lives at a faster rate than previously possible.”

Last week, we looked at how nicotine is often mislabelled as the enemy. As we continue this series, we will explore the categories of products on the risk continuum, how countries have successfully embraced THR, how individuals can help promote harm minimisation, and much more. Stay tuned!