WHO: The concept of "harm reduction" to promote new tobacco is misleading

(Dan Tri) - WHO also pointed out that the strategy of tobacco companies is to deceive with the language of "harm reduction", labeling themselves as "less toxic", "safer" to appeal to users' psychology.

The new tobacco "epidemic" - a threat to teenagers

At the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC recently held in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly warned about the trend of tobacco companies taking advantage of the concept of "harm reduction" to promote products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, new tobacco and nicotine products, causing confusion in the community.

At this meeting, WHO warned that tobacco companies are exploiting the concept of "harm reduction" to promote new tobacco products (Photo: Ministry of Health ).

This contrasts with genuine harm reduction programs in other areas of public health, where health professionals and agencies pursue health goals by implementing evidence-based strategies and interventions that are closely controlled and monitored.

According to WHO, the high and rising rate of e-cigarette use among young people is a cause for concern. The latest trend data from WHO shows that more than 15 million children aged 13-15 are using e-cigarettes. This age group is nine times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults.

Tobacco and nicotine product companies, along with related front groups, increasingly promote a wide variety of tobacco, nicotine, and related products.

They claim that these products pose a lower health risk than conventional cigarettes and could be part of a “harm reduction” approach to tobacco control.

These products commonly include electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and smokeless tobacco products.

The WHO asserts that the use of misleading descriptions for cigarettes such as “light” and “mild”, the use of filters to suggest that they are less harmful, and the deliberate design of products to deceive machine tests.

And this is not just a thing of the past, as they continue to mislead consumers and regulators about the risks posed by their products.

Vietnamese expert: Electronic cigarettes cause more severe nicotine addiction

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, when electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products were introduced, they were promoted with many attractive promises: helping to quit traditional cigarettes, less toxic, and having a pleasant aroma.

"However, all of these views are wrong and have been exploited for marketing purposes, deceiving consumers," Dr. Nguyen affirmed.

The Director of the Poison Control Center cited that there have been tens of thousands of studies worldwide - statistics from some international organizations alone show at least 67,000 works - proving that e-cigarettes do not help smokers quit smoking, but on the contrary, make nicotine addiction worse.

Users tend to start smoking earlier, become more dependent, and face higher health risks than traditional cigarette users.

In fact, the main goal of e-cigarette and heated tobacco manufacturers is not to help smokers quit, but to expand the market and attract new customers, especially young people.

They target teenagers - people who are still in their growing years, have never smoked, but are easily attracted by the feeling of "coolness" and curiosity.

Many advertising campaigns even target women, turning smoking into a symbol of modern lifestyle.

This shows that the ultimate goal is only profit, not public health. If not strictly controlled, future generations will become “potential customers” of the e-cigarette industry, and as a result, the rate of nicotine addiction in society will spread without end.

More dangerously, when e-cigarettes are normalized, even those in management positions become addicted, making it even more difficult to ban and control.

It is a dangerous vicious cycle - where false perceptions, nurtured by disguised advertising and marketing, push people against their own development.

It can be said that if society accepts e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products as a “less harmful” trend, it is no different than paving the way for a form of collective self-destruction.

This is not only a story about health, but also a warning about the decline in awareness - when people trade their future for man-made smoke.

WHO also pointed out that the strategy of tobacco companies is to deceive with the language of "harm reduction", labeling themselves as "less toxic", "safer" to appeal to users' psychology.

WHO therefore recommends that governments fully implement comprehensive tobacco control measures to reduce demand and supply for all tobacco, nicotine and related products.

Educate the community and provide cessation support through proven methods, such as nicotine replacement therapy and toll-free smoking cessation helplines, which have been evaluated by regulatory authorities and shown to be safe and effective.

Ban the sale of products through remote means, including digital platforms commonly used by children and young people, to control the supply chain. Protect public health policies from the influence of commercial interests and vested interests linked to the tobacco industry.

In Vietnam, on November 30, 2024, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15, officially banning the production, trading, import, transportation and use of new generation cigarettes such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from January 1, 2025.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/who-khai-niem-giam-hai-de-quang-ba-thuoc-la-moi-gay-hieu-lam-20251121104916151.htm