UN Urged to Recognise THR
A coalition of global consumer groups have urged the UN Special Rapporteur, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, to recognise tobacco harm reduction following her recent report
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by Dave Cross
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A coalition of international consumer advocacy groups has submitted a comprehensive response to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, regarding her recent report on harm reduction. The letter, signed by representatives from CASA Africa, ARDT Iberoamérica, and CAPHRA (Asia Pacific), calls for the recognition of tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a crucial strategy in public health policy.
In their response to the report, the consumer groups emphasised that tobacco harm reduction has its roots in public health, not industry. They highlighted the significant consumer demand for safer nicotine products, with over 112 million users worldwide, most if not all, former smokers.
The letter pointed to the success of countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and New Zealand, “which are all embracing tobacco harm reduction and on track to reach smoking rates below 5% by the end of 2025.”
It continued by pointing out that Sweden's achievement of "smoke-free" status, with a smoking rate below 5%, is attributed largely to the widespread use of snus and other safer nicotine products.
The consumer groups also drew attention to the unintended consequences of restrictive policies on safer nicotine products that is happening in countries like Australia and India, which have witnessed booming black markets that undermine public health goals.
The coalition said: “Arguing that denying smokers access to safer alternatives undermines the right to health and personal autonomy, the coalition calls for the UN to apply the same principles of harm reduction to tobacco use as it does to drug use and sexual health.”
The letter is supported by a wide range of international consumer organisations and includes an annex of scientific evidence from reputable health institutions supporting the potential of THR to reduce smoking-related harms.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. CAPHRA says it is not related to, or funded by any commercial interests, being composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region.
CAPHRA says it, “stays committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use. We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”
References:
- The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
