HARM REDUCTION SOCIETY ADVOCATES FOR SAVING LIVES OF SMOKERS.
BY MOVINE VICTORIA
The harm reduction society specialists have today met at Sarova Stanley hotel, Nairobi to respond to the announcement by Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni that she intends to “wipe out” nicotine products.
The harm Reduction Society is aimed at providing a community for harm reduction practitioners, community workers, organizations, researchers and policymakers and create awareness among all sectors of the society about harm reduction practices and to engage in and support evidence-based research on harm reduction approaches to health.
As a non-governmental organization, the society also campaigns for safer alternatives organisation dedicated to achieving 100% smoke-free environments in Africa. It is also acts as the unifying voice for consumer organisations advocating for tobacco harm reduction in Africa, promoting discussion and the exchange of information and potential actions to reduce exposure to tobacco related harm.
Harm Reduction Society of Kenya, Founder and Secretary General Dr. Michael Kariuki, during a press briefing held at a Nairobi hotel today calling on policymakers to reconsider the indiscriminate and ill-informed offensive against safer alternatives that smokers can use to quit smoking.According to Dr. Michael Kariuki, secretary-general of the Harm Reduction Society, some of the nicotine products consumed are less harmful and have high chances of helping smokers to quit.
In his remarks he said, “Alternative
nicotine products like regulated vapes and oral pouches are scientifically proven to be far less
harmful than cigarettes and are the most successful method for helping smokers to quit."
Joel Sawa, spokesperson for Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA), further added that regulation of consumption will aid in protecting children, youths and addicted victims. "Regulation of these products is, of course necessary to protect children and the youth. However, that regulation should be evidence-based and proportionate to the risks posed, after taking into
consideration the smokers who need these therapeutic products.”He said.
To back their campaign, the experts singled out some of the evidences that showed the impact of alternative nicotine products which include: first, researchers at the University of Nairobi have found that nicotine pouches are less risky than cigarettes and expose users to lower levels of toxicants.
Second, the US Food and Drug Administration says Modified Risk Tobacco Products(MRTPs) will significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population as a whole. Such MRTPs are regulated nicotine pouches and vapes which are largely used in countries such as Sweden and the UK to assist cigarette smokers to quit.
Third, countries worldwide, from the UK and France to the USA, Pakistan and New Zealand, innovative alternative products are already helping smokers who had despaired of ever being able to give up their deadly tobacco habit.
Fourth, NonTobacco Nicotine products do not contain tobacco and extensive international research has found them 95% less harmful than traditional combustible cigarettes.
Fifth, studies show that regulated modern oral nicotine products carry similar levels of toxicants and risks as nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), which are on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines.
Sixth, Sweden is about to achieve the status of being the first country in the world to become officially smoke-free after making safer alternatives acceptable, available and affordable to adults.It now has the lowest smoking and tobacco-related disease rates in Europe.
From the research, Dr. Kariuki assured that nicotine is not the same as tobacco and does not cause cancer and also has been on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines for decades in the form of replacement therapies such as gum and patches.
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