Filenews 1 November 2021
Presentation at the International Conference on the Reduction of Tobacco Damage
The 4th Conference on Tobacco Harm Reduction, organized this year by SCHORE, the International Association of Independent Experts on Smoking, was focused on the Alternatives to Smoking Products and the potential benefits they may have for the health of consumers, compared to the continuation of smoking.
In the discussion, which was coordinated by Dr. Michalis Toumbis and Dr. Panos Vardas, Dr. Karl Fagerstrom from Sweden, a smoking cessation expert who was a speaker, explained the use and benefits of new oral nicotine products – the so-called "tobacco sachets" or Nicotine Pouches. "With the appropriate legislation, oral nicotine products, oral nicotine pouches, could be tools for reducing the harm from smoking," the professor concluded at the end of his presentation.
Subsequently, researchers from various institutions and institutions presented interesting research on e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products. Smokers who made the switch to tobacco heating products had an improvement in clinical biomarkers within six months, Dr. Nathan Gale said. Similarly, Dr. Stacey McCaffrey, based on the research she presented, explained that even the shift of smokers to e-cigarettes can have beneficial effects under certain conditions, while Dr. Maria-Ahmed Qureshi focused on the problems identified in many of the existing researches on these products, at a time when the state and especially smokers need reputable information and information. Dr. Gabriella Kostelli presented a detailed research on the positive effects on specific clinical parameters of the health of smokers who made the transition to alternative smoking products.
One of the most interesting speeches of the conference was that of Dr. Angela Van Der Plas, from PMI, who presented observational data on the clinical course of consumers who made the transition from smoking to tobacco heating product, IQOS. As Mrs. Van Der Plas mentioned, Japan is often considered a "case study" regarding the alternative products of smoking, as there IQOS has been circulating since 2014 and now in the country is recorded one of the lowest percentages of smokers worldwide.
The research presented by Dr. Van Der Plas focused on two main smoking-related conditions, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Ischemic Disease (IHD) and recorded any changes in hospital admissions in Japan due to these two diseases, before and after the introduction of IQOS on the market. Indeed, the admissions of patients to hospitals with causes of admission to COPD and IHD are decreasing, as shown in the chart below presented by her:
It is clear from the analysis of the above data that Japan has recorded a significant decrease in the rate of hospital admissions due to COPD and IHD. Although this is a complex and continuous research, which takes into account and evaluates a series of data, it is a first step in understanding the impact of Newer Tobacco Products on the level of society, dr. Van Der Plas noted at the conclusion of her presentation.
The Alternatives to Smoking Products are aimed at adult smokers all over the world, who do not wish to stop smoking, in order to reduce the harmful effect of this harmful habit. "Newer tobacco products essentially emit fewer toxic substances and are likely to have fewer effects on the body", noted the coordinator Dr. Toumbis, while Professor Vardas, closing the discussion, pointed out that "we have been making significant progress in recent years and it is true that we now need well-organized clinical studies on these products, in order to be sure of their effects".
Source: www.onmed.gr
