Revolutionizing Tobacco Harm Reduction in India
Despite the toll of tobacco on India's population with 1.35 million deaths annually, quit rates are low. Experts advocate for science-backed, smoke-free nicotine alternatives to mitigate health risks and support smoking cessation, emphasizing a shift towards harm reduction strategies for combating tobacco-related diseases.
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- India
India loses a staggering 1.35 million lives every year to tobacco-related diseases, yet the quit rates remain disappointingly low. Despite the enormous healthcare costs exceeding Rs 1.77 lakh crore annually, experts stress the urgent need for innovative harm reduction strategies, highlighted by smoke-free nicotine alternatives.
Dr. Pawan Gupta, a senior consultant in pulmonary medicine at BLK-MAX Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi, said, "Scientific reviews, including those by the Royal College of Physicians in the UK, demonstrate that non-combustible nicotine delivery methods significantly lower risks compared to smoking. It's an evidence that warrants serious attention."
Public Health England supports these findings, estimating smoke-free nicotine alternatives as 95 per cent less harmful than smoking. Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Sunaina Soni of AIIMS-CAPFIMS Centre, who emphasized that regulated, safer nicotine alternatives could aid India's goal to reduce tobacco use by 30 per cent by 2025.
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