What’s Africa Doing On Smoke-free World?

The summit, which gathered researchers and world leaders together at Anthems, the capital city of Greece, from September 25-26, also had online participants exceeding 250 from 30 countries, discussing over efforts to have a smoke-free world. 

From six continents including Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and New Zealand, participants noted that they are working on a smoke-free world because it wohld also help in harm reduction which is for the benefit of consumers and patients.

One of the agreements in Article 1 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) signed by 168 parties which has to do with a smoke free-world and harm reduction has not been respected. 

Also, some policies seem not to be respecting the right of consumers to information and personal choices. 

While there are alliances to fight false messages regarding the risk of novel products versus smoking, multinational companies like Philip Morris International (PMI) are spending billions to ensure smoke free work and Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR). 

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Many have been asking whether Africa is working towards ensuring a smoke free environment and Tobacco Harm Reduction with the introduction of e-cigarettes.

Speaking, President of SCOHRE, the organizers of the event, Prof Ignatios Ikonomidis, said it has been established that although the prevalence of smoking has decreased steadily around the globe, he added that the total number of smokers has increased, as populations have grown. 

“Novel smoking products show a smaller emission of toxic substances compared to conventional cigarettes and there is an increasing interest in Tobacco Harm Reduction as a tool to reduce the detrimental consequences of cigarette smoking. 

“However, more data is needed for politicians and public health regulators to make informed decisions. Consequently, the objective of the 6th Summit is to offer opportunities for scientists of different countries to present, discuss, and challenge recent data, but also to provide an environment where regulatory authorities and policy makers may interact with the scientific and medical communities on the prospective course of action ‘For a Smoke-Free World,” he said. 

But there have been concerns over disinformation and misinformation about the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR).

Even though discussions were channeled on the assessment of global regulation, legislation, and existing scientific evidence for THR products, Managing Director, Tamarind Intelligence, UK Mr Tim Phillips, said that THR sector may still be small but is growing fast. 

“It is a fact that regulators must deal with a variety of different issues, ” he said, and in order to conclude the best decisions they need more data. Also, data must be communicated, and the scientific community should be more active in presenting evidence-based findings to regulators, policy makers and the public. 

It was gathered that in Africa, not many people understand efforts being male for a smoke free world.

“Besides the need for data-based policies, consumers’ confidence in THR is also an issue of high importance. Increasing awareness of consumers about the impact of smoking and the impact of novel lower-risk alternatives to combustible cigarettes is crucial,” a Professor who is also the Head Psychiatry Department, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa, Solomon Rataemane said. 

Rataemane said the relevant legislation in South Africa since the first Act in 1993 until now that a new Bill on tobacco legislation is going through Public Hearings. 

“A main issue that is already being discussed and is expected to come up during this procedure is whether the new THR products should be addressed similarly with the combustible cigarettes, even though there is scientific evidence that switching from conventional cigarettes to the novel non-combustible products is improving smokers’ health,” he said.

Also, an Associate Professor in Cardiology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, Professor Giuseppe Biondi Zoccai said the wide variability in e-cigarette products makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions about their overall health impact, and findings and conclusions of umbrella and systematic reviews can vary depending on scope of review, studies included, and methodologies used. 

Zoccai, said, evidence from umbrella reviews show that e-cigarettes increase quit rates compared to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), while evidence comparing nicotine e-cigarettes with usual care or no treatment also suggests benefit.

But the president, Polish Society of Public Health, Poland, Professor Andrzej Fal while looking at the financial aspects of smoking, said it is an apparent conflict of interest created by the efforts for smoking cessation.

“On one hand they reduce the direct and indirect healthcare costs, but on the other hand they also reduce the income gained by excise and VAT taxes. At an era when health expenditures keep growing, and while the total cost attributable to cigarette smoking reaches almost 2% of the world’s GDP, prevention –through lifestyle changes, reduction of behavioural risk factors and harm reduction– is the most effective way of investing in future health. 

“To stop the smoking pandemic and its financial and health effects we need to raise funding for primary prevention, as well as introduce a “less harm, less tax” regulation,” he said. 

The director, Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty and Smoking, New Zealand, Dr Marewa Glover, said there are regulatory changes  in his country concerning smoking and vaping.

Glover, who presented preliminary research data about the barriers and misconceptions that prevent a part of smokers’ population from achieving smoking cessation, shared the preliminary data analysis of “Voices of the 5%” research, an ongoing longitudinal qualitative research, from 2020 to 2024, in 62 diverse adults (19-81 years) across New Zealand. 

“We assume everyone knows that smoking kills, but some people really don’t know,” Dr Glover said, adding, “We cannot ignore these people, we must focus more on health education in order to help them, ” she added.