Experts push for ‘safer’ smoking alternatives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Experts are urging the government to take up new strategies to reduce the health risks of smoking.

At the third roundtable on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), the Initiative on Risk-reduction & Dependable Alternatives (IRADA) brought together public health officials, medical professionals, NGOs, and community members to discuss practical solutions.

The discussion centred on how to minimise the harm caused by smoking by presenting safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes.

The advantages of contemporary, far less hazardous nicotine products, such as pouches, were discussed by researcher Dr. Rizwan Junaid. “These products can help people quit smoking,” he explained.

“Oral nicotine products offer a safer choice for smokers who can’t or don’t want to quit completely. They drastically lower exposure to harmful chemicals,” Dr Junaid said, stressing that these alternatives could make a big difference to public health.

The group also looked at success stories from countries like Sweden and New Zealand, where THR policies have led to big drops in smoking rates.

A recent report by a Pakistani endocrinologist even suggests that combining THR with traditional tobacco control measures could save 1.2 million lives by 2060.

In order to do this, experts recommended that the government enact laws that discourage traditional cigarettes and encourage safer nicotine substitutes.

By implementing these measures, Pakistan might move towards a healthier, smoke-free future while simultaneously reducing the number of smoking-related deaths and the burden on its healthcare system.

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