TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION

Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) is about helping people who smoke cigarettes reduce the health risks from smoking. While quitting smoking completely is the best way to protect your health, we understand that not everyone can stop right away. It is a public health approach that offers safer alternatives to smoking for people who either cannot or do not want to quit nicotine entirely. Rather than insisting on complete abstinence, THR provides realistic options — such as nicotine replacement therapies (patches, gums, lozenges) and other reduced-risk products that are scientifically proven to be safer.

Tobacco harm reduction is not about encouraging people to smoke; it’s about giving smokers practical, realistic options to reduce harm, protect their health, and eventually quit.

Real-World Examples

THR isn’t just theoretical — it has been successfully implemented in several countries:

Sweden: Thanks in part to widespread use of snus (a smokeless tobacco product) and nicotine pouches, Sweden has one of the lowest daily smoking rates in Europe.

Norway: Research shows that many Norwegians have switched from cigarettes to snus, contributing to lower smoking-related mortality.

Japan: The introduction of heated tobacco products has helped reduce cigarette consumption significantly over recent years.

New Zealand and the UK: Both countries have embraced vaping and other reduced-risk products, and have seen notable declines in smoking prevalence

These success stories illustrate how THR can make a real difference — and serve as models to guide how safer alternatives could help reduce smoking-related harm in Africa.