No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2022: smoker number increased, concrete answers needed 

Yesterday, the Italian Ministry of Health released new data on smoking prevalence: there are 800000 more smokers in the country than in 2019. Rates increased especially among women and young people. The report found that also the numbers of the users of heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes is rising. “An expected disaster, partly anticipated by our data published in 2020 and obtained thanks to a study conducted during the acute phase of Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, no prevention policies, no answers from the Italian health authorities. Reporting a disaster is not enough: we need to come up with alternative and effective solutions”. Stated professor Riccardo Polosa, founder of the CoEHAR, who opened the first National Conference on Tobacco Harm Reduction.

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Gtfn 2020: Sustainability and Innovation are crucially for the future of Tobacco Harm Reduction

What are the best practises the tobacco industry should follow to achieve a sustainable change through the innovation and regulation? This was the question that this year’s Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum, GTFN 2020, focused on

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Quit Strong: New Zealand bets on vaping to quit smoking

QUIT STRONG is one of the first public health initiatives in the World that embrace THR (Tobacco Harm Reduction), showing openness to strategies that can support smokers during smoking cessation programmes. Low risk products allow to provide the necessary amount of nicotine while maintaining the behavioral and psychological rituals associated to smoking

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The road ahead for substitution of combustible cigarettes with low risk technologies as a strategy to reduce harm in the 21st Century

The article highlights why harm reduction is important, what are the ways to achieve harm reduction, particularly the use of snus, heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes and what are the barriers to use of such alternatives. This article is not a systematic or narrative review; it is an overview of recent studies on these products or devices. Industry conducted or funded studies were excluded from the review.

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The new Vaping Manual between Science and Real Use

Toxicological testing, population studies, clinical trials and randomized controlled trials demonstrate the potential reductions in exposures for smokers. Unfortunately, socio-cultural and economics barriers, such as heavy taxation, misperceptions about nicotine and unsubstantiated fears of youth addiction, prevent low risk products to become accessible to all and a good choice for those who want to quit smoking.

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