From November 20 to 25, the global community, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, will gather in Panama City for the 10th edition of the Conference of Parties (CoP 10) organized by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Adopted on May 21, 2003, and brought into effect on February 27, 2005, the WHO FCTC stands as “an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health” and represents a “milestone for the promotion of public health.” The framework was developed in view of the danger posed by the tobacco epidemic.
It’s no understatement to say that tobacco, particularly combustible tobacco, poses a grave threat to humanity. According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals when burned, out of which no fewer than 69 are carcinogenic. These chemicals include acetone, acetic acid, arsenic, ammonia, carbon monoxide, hexamine, butane, benzene, lead, methanol, tar, and toluene.
Consider these staggering statistics: There are over 1 billion cigarette smokers worldwide, resulting in over eight million annual deaths, not to mention the 1.3 million non-smokers who succumb to the perils of secondhand smoke. While nicotine is what draws people to cigarettes, it’s the smoke that claims their lives.
In Nigeria, no fewer than 4.7 million adults, constituting about 5.6% of the population, currently use tobacco products, with 3.1 million of them being tobacco smokers. While there’s a declining trend in smoking prevalence in the country, it is estimated that one out of every ten Nigerians still smokes daily. This highlights the need for comprehensive measures and stringent anti-tobacco laws targeting both tobacco production and marketing.
Embracing Harm Reduction
Globally, harm reduction strategies have been deployed in public health as a pragmatic and compassionate approach to addressing various issues, particularly in the context of substance use and risky behaviors. These strategies encompass needle exchange programs, supervised injection sites, condom distribution, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), nicotine replacement therapy, vaping, e-cigarettes, and supervised consumption of medications.
The Shift to Smoke-Free Alternatives
It is crucial to recognise that it’s not nicotine, but the smoke from combustible cigarettes, that causes cancer and other severe health issues. As such, one clear way to mitigate the risks for smokers who cannot quit is for them to transition to smoke-free products, which currently stand as the most viable alternative.
Smoke-free products are designed to deliver nicotine orally without producing harmful smoke or ash. Since they provide nicotine without combustion, they are far superior to traditional cigarettes. These products include e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, snus, heated tobacco products, and other modern oral options. Studies have shown that e-cigarettes, for instance, are up to 95% less harmful than traditional smoking.
It’s essential to understand that toxic and carcinogenic substances found in tobacco smoke, not nicotine, are the primary culprits behind cigarette-related diseases and deaths. While quitting smoking remains the best option for health, it’s an arduous task for most smokers, making the shift to scientifically-proven less harmful smoke-free products a prudent choice.
Scientific Evidence for Smoke-Free Alternatives
There is robust scientific evidence that smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes can significantly reduce the risks associated with continued smoking. While these products are not entirely risk-free and provide nicotine, which is addictive, they represent a substantial improvement over conventional cigarettes. Compelling facts and evidence underscore the positive impact these products are having, paving the way for a smoke-free future and improved public health.
Unfortunately, misinformation clouds the benefits of smoke-free products, particularly when they are unfairly compared to quitting cigarettes entirely. While quitting all nicotine and tobacco products is the ideal choice, smoke-free alternatives offer a better path for the nine out of ten adult smokers who struggle to quit. These products provide nicotine without burning, significantly reducing the levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.
To make a smoke-free future a reality, adult smokers who don’t quit must have access to facts and scientific evidence that challenge and dispel misinformation. It’s crucial to emphasise that smoke-free alternatives are a much better choice than continuing to smoke.
However, concerted efforts are needed to make these products accessible and affordable for cigarette smokers in low- and medium-income countries in line with the overarching drive for harm reduction, a transformative strategy that surpasses prohibition-based policies and offers a more effective approach to reducing tobacco-related deaths and diseases.
Overcoming Obstacles to Harm Reduction
Disinformation and a misunderstanding of the harms of nicotine pose significant obstacles to tobacco harm reduction. The FCTC must be ready to engage with the tobacco industry, just as the Conference of Parties on climate change welcomes all stakeholders with interests in energy, oil, gas, and transportation. Excluding the tobacco industry from discussions is counterproductive, especially when the FCTC acknowledges harm reduction as a potential approach.
COP10: A Platform for Change
COP10 provides an ideal platform to address youth access to tobacco and nicotine and commit to its elimination. The tobacco industry can leverage products like nicotine pouches and snus to combat oral cancer. Industry players must seize the opportunity presented by COP10 to build common ground with public health officials in reducing cigarette use and raising awareness about tobacco harm reduction.
By promoting harm reduction, dispelling misinformation and fostering cooperation, we can work together towards a smoke-free future, ensuring the well-being of millions of adult smokers and, ultimately, achieving public health goals.
The FCTC must be ready to engage with the tobacco industry, just as the Conference of Parties on climate change welcomes all stakeholders with interests in energy, oil, gas, and transportation
Excluding the tobacco industry from discussions is counterproductive, especially when the FCTC acknowledges harm reduction as a potential approach
The Zamfara Government-Matawalle Feud
From May 29 when the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration assumed power in Zamfara State to date, citizens of the state and indeed Nigerians have been treated to fresh allegations of sleaze and mismanagement of resources against the immediate past administration of Bello Matawalle who is now the junior minister of Defence.
With all sense of modesty, some of the allegations made by the state government against Matawalle are not only startling but mind-boggling and if indeed those allegations are true, then we need not probe further to understand the reasons for the deplorable state of things in Zamfara.
For close to a decade now, Zamfara State has been battling serious security challenges, with kidnapping, killing and cattle rustling occurring at an unimaginable proportion. But the revelations being made by the state government showed there may also have been ‘financial banditry.’
I watched an interview by a local media station where former governor Matawalle refuted the allegations levelled against him insisting that Governor Dauda was trying to divert attention from his failures. As things stand out, what is playing out is a barrage of allegations and counter-allegation.
Rather than dissipate energy on allegations and counter-allegations, Governor Dauda Lawal Dare should assemble whatever facts there are, set up a whitepaper committee, approach the court upon receipt of the committee’s report and let the judiciary handle the matter.
In doing this, Governor Dare must not interfere but ensure diligent prosecution so justice cannot only be served but be seen to have been served, while he focuses attention on providing good governance for the good people of Zamfara State.
