It is in the best interest of adult smokers and society at large to apply a commonsense approach to public health. The most effective decisions are made transparently and based on facts. Through open dialogue and constructive discussion, we can address the issue of smoking more effectively.
Differentiated Policies
When new types of products become available, existing regulations may need to be adjusted.
A growing number of public health and policy experts agree that regulation should follow a fundamental principle: products that carry different levels of risks should be regulated differently and in proportion to the risks they pose.
Smoke-free products can be a better alternative to combustible tobacco for smokers that do not quit. The most harmful products, such as cigarettes, should be regulated most strictly, while those smoke-free products, like heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, that, whilst addictive and not risk free, have the potential to be less harmful should be regulated differently. For example, allowing adult smokers to access information about them.
Protecting Youth: Tobacco and nicotine products should be regulated to protect unintended audiences, such as youth, while enabling current adult smokers who do not quit to switch to them and leave cigarettes behind for good.
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RISK
Products that don’t burn tobacco are fundamentally different from those that do.
Some governments have already taken a progressive approach by thinking beyond traditional tobacco control and embracing harm reduction as a critical tool to accelerate smoking decline, recognising that smoke-free products can be a better alternative to combustible tobacco for smokers that do not quit, and factoring this into their policies.
Policies that ban or prohibit smoke-free products can perpetuate smoking because those who don’t quit cannot legally access better options than cigarettes.