Smoking and second-hand smoking are the most preventable causes of death globally. For decades several regulations have been introduced to curb the number of smokers, yet the numbers remain unaffected.
Consumers today are aware of the dangers of smoking and the threat it poses to their health, yet they continue the habit. When you smoke a cigarette, you’re not only inhaling the combusted tobacco and nicotine but also hundreds of other toxic chemicals that have been scientifically proven as responsible for several pulmonary and heart diseases.
The best solution has forever remained quitting. However, there are those people who choose to continue to smoke. For these people there are now scientifically developed, less harmful alternatives available to help them achieve their goal of switching and making better choices. Global studies on the subject have shown that the vast majority of the people who step away from cigarettes, tend to find their way back, sooner or later. For that reason, it’s important to keep in mind the role of nicotine as it holds the key to help consumers make better choices. Seeing how the majority of smokers choose to continue smoking, experts globally have been working to provide less harmful alternatives to smoking which include e-cigarettes, vapes, snus and heated tobacco products. The general opinion on the matter among global scientific communities is that when a smoker completely switches to alternatives containing limited quantities of nicotine, they have greater chances of being successful. These products give the smokers the same sensation of smoking but with less harmful effects on health. So basically, you’re exposing yourself to less harmful chemicals while regulating your nicotine requirement for long-term effectiveness.
In recent years, countries including Japan, the US, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland have also seen a significant decline in their cigarette sales – and the common element is adult smokers having access to less harmful, non-combustible alternatives.
If Pakistan aims to decrease its number of smokers, it should follow a similar route to making smoking less harmful for smokers who refuse to quit altogether by providing them access to alternatives.
