Tag: Vaping

Getting Tough On Vaping Drives People Into Smoking Combustible Tobacco

Michael Gwarisa

Despite the massive crackdown on smoking in the form of bans and taxes, coupled with well-coordinated misinformation around emerging Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) alternatives, World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that at least 8 million smokers continue to die from smoking-related diseases on an annual basis while one million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke also die from passive smoking. By Michael Gwarisa Overall smoking rates in Africa remain low by international comparisons, with a prevalence of 8.4 percent across the continent. While smoking prevalence is relatively low on…

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In The Absence Of National Regulation For Vapour Products, Youth Access Prevention Must Be Self-Policed

Healthtimes

PRETORIA, South Africa, 13 February 2023 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Be it social media, the news, or your community WhatsApp group, there has been no shortage of commentary about the apparent escalation of vaping among teenagers. In a market sector largely unregulated in South Africa, it is seemingly too easy for teenagers to access Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems/Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/ENNDS) also known as Electronic Vapour Products (EVPs). By Staff Reporter “The concern that young people are easily able to access these products is completely valid,” says Asanda Gcoyi, Chief Executive of…

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Facing The Elephant In The Room: How Disinformation Is Standing In The Way Of Tobacco Harm Reduction

Michael Gwarisa

The American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) defines harm reduction as any behaviour or strategy that helps reduce risk or harm to yourself or others. For almost every societal problem, there are available harm reduction options. For example, to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV, one needs to practice safer sex or safer drug use. By Michael Gwarisa Since the year 2006, there has been exponential expansion of interest in Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) after the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) became the first American scientific…

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Phillip Morris & Swedish Match Amongst Leading Tobacco Companies Advancing Tobacco Harm Reduction- Tobacco Transformation Index Finds

Michael Gwarisa

THE first Tobacco Transformation Index released this week and made possible with funding from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, finds that most of the 15 largest tobacco companies are not making substantive progress in phasing out cigarettes and other high-risk tobacco products and transitioning smokers to reduced-risk alternatives. By Michael Gwarisa A small group of companies have made public commitments to harm reduction and backed them with significant investments. A majority of companies have made no such commitment to tobacco harm reduction. With 1.3 billion tobacco users in the…

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