‘‘The global impact of tobacco-related diseases is undeniable. As we stand on the cusp of COP10, it’s essential that we recognize the ‘Right to Health’ as a guiding principle. It’s not just about health; it’s about fundamental human rights.’’ Tobacco consumption claims the lives of over 8 million individuals annually, delivering a staggering blow […]
Author: Uche Olatunji
Building a Community of Journalists And Advocates To Increase THR Advocacy in Nigeria.
“My pick-up lesson from here is No longer quit or die, but quit and try”. This is an important line from the 2021 award-winning short film ‘Saving Chalo’ produced by Emmanuel Mwape with support from Knowledge Action Change. A short movie staged in a Zambian setting in South-central Africa. The movie was centred on an […]
Smoking: Africa Must Prioritize Harm Reduction – Experts
With about eight million persons dying annually due to smoking-related illness and outright quitting being difficult for most smokers, Africa and, indeed, the global community cannot afford to pay lip service to tobacco harm reduction, experts have warned. The experts from different fields spoke at an exchange programme with the theme, Harm Reduction: Making a […]
LOCAL PERSPECTIVES OF TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION AMONG MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN KENYA
Every year, more than 8100 people in Kenya are killed by smoking-caused diseases. Even though fewer people use smokeless tobacco on average in Kenya than on average in medium-HDI countries. Tobacco harm reduction has not been widely accepted or implemented, with heavy taxes on reduced risk nicotine-containing products including e-cigarettes, snus and heat not burn […]
Science of Tobacco Harm Reduction
In the 40 years since Professor Michael Russell, a South African scholar and specialist in the field of smoking behaviour, pioneered the logic that smokers smoke for nicotine but are killed by tar, the assertion has largely remained incontrovertible despite the opposition to it in some quarters. This logic has served as a pivot for […]
A Case For Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy
In many countries, cigarette packs now come with both graphic and text health warnings to smokers on the health risks associated with their consumption. However, have these warnings deterred smoking? For people who smoke, quitting remains the best option to avoid the health risks associated with tobacco consumption and non-smokers are advised to never pick […]
THE majority of smokers in Kenya want to use harm reduction products, such as nicotine pouches or vapes/e-cigarettes to help them quit, according to a new consumer survey launched by Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) at a conference this afternoon in Nairobi. The conference which was titled “Oral Nicotine Pouches: A Gateway to a smoke-free […]
Misinformation About Misinformation
The idea that there was ever a golden age of accurate information, especially about public health, is suspect. By Tyler Cowen February 10, 2022 It is conventional wisdom that misinformation — particularly about Covid and vaccines, and often enabled by social and other media — is worse than it’s ever been. It’s hard to measure misinformation over time. But the premise […]
Africa: Tobacco Harm Reduction in Africa: Has The Revolution Started?
On January 20th, 2022, the virtual Harm Reduction Exchange took place with two panels of discussions that were held around the hot topic of Harm Reduction. The first https://allafrica.com/stories/202201270843.html addressed risk reduction in various areas such as cancer, skin bleaching and drug use, whilst the second one addressed more specifically Tobacco Harm Reduction. This event […]
Tobacco Harm Reduction: That Africa is not left behind
There is unanimity across the world on the need to reduce smoking rates among people. Whether it is the ubiquitous cigarettes, or cigars or water pipes known locally as shisha in Nigeria, every concerned stakeholder wants a drop, indeed a continuous drop in smoking rates. While cigarettes have always received the most attention, people are beginning to […]