Smoking is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world. More than eight million people die each year due to smoking, with almost 99% of tobacco-related deaths caused by smoking — not from other forms of nicotine consumption.
Reducing the number of smokers and allowing them to rapidly and efficiently switch to a less harmful alternative should be a major priority for governments and public health agencies worldwide. Unfortunately, too many people confuse nicotine consumption with the diseases caused by smoking. In this paper, we outline six main reasons why the war on nicotine is pointless and should stop.
In the past few years, we have witnessed great successes in reducing smoking rates globally, especially in countries where smokers had many alternatives to choose from. In the UK for example, Public Health England, an agency of the Ministry of Health, actively recommended smokers to switch to e-cigarettes. That allowed for very progressive frameworks on vaping to be introduced. Due to these policies, the UK has seen much better results in reducing smoking compared to more restrictive countries.
In the UK, smoking rates have fallen by 25% since 2013 (when vaping became popular). By contrast, in Australia, which has some of the world’s toughest vaping regulations, smoking rates fell by just 8% in the same period. Due to the openness towards snus, a form of smokeless tobacco, Sweden reports the lowest adult smoking rate in the developed world, at just 7% (while it remains banned elsewhere in the European Union). The result is lower rates of smoking-induced illnesses. Norway experienced similar success due to its relaxed approach to snus regulation.
Instead of celebrating declining numbers of smokers and far fewer deaths, many governments, public health agencies and anti-smoking activists have been on the hunt for new enemies. They decided to scapegoat nicotine, and as a result, the fight against smoking gradually transformed into a fight against nicotine. Such an approach has dire consequences: fewer people switching to less harmful alternatives.
It is time to end the war on nicotine. Here are six main reasons why.
Stiúrthóir ag Comhghuaillíocht na dToiteoirí Domhanda
Comhalta ag an Ionad Rogha Tomhaltóirí
Tá an cumas ag galú a chinntiú go scoirfidh 200 milliún duine a chaitheann tobac go deo, ach ní mór do rialtais é a spreagadh agus a éascú mar mhodh scoir. Anois níos mó ná riamh, tá sé ríthábhachtach go gcloistear guthanna na ndaoine a chaitheann tobac. i leith táirgí nicitín ísealriosca amhail galú.
Sin é an fáth a bhfuilimid ag tabhairt ár bhfeachtas amach ar an mbóthar, ar fud na hEorpa agus ar fud an domhain. Ní mór dúinn a chinntiú go gcloiseann siad siúd a dhéanann na cinntí tábhachtacha a mbeidh tionchar acu ar ÁR gcearta, ÁR sláinte agus ÁR dtodhchaí, ÁR nguth comhchoiteann agus go n-insíonn siad dúinn 'Tacaigh le Galú. Buail an Tobac.'‘
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