IF you’re a non-smoker, it’s best to avoid cigarettes altogether and resist any temptation to try smoking.
If you’re already a smoker, attempt to quit altogether but, if all efforts fail, it’s wise to explore alternative options.
The message echoed loud and clear during a one-day E-Cigarette Summit at the Royal College of Physicians in London late last year.
The summit stood as a crucial event within the evolving discussions on public health, especially concerning smoking. It served as a vital gathering point, uniting numerous experts and scientists at the forefront of research and opinion-sharing.
Moreover, the unique assembly, which gathered over 500 experts, advocates, and industry leaders from various countries, provided a platform for an in-depth exploration of the latest advancements, controversies, and scientific breakthroughs concerning alternatives to traditional cigarettes, with a particular focus on electronic cigarettes.
A group of four journalists from Malaysia was specially invited and sponsored by Philip Morris International (PMI) to also attend the summit.
Throughout the summit, 27 speakers shed light on the initiatives implemented by relevant authorities in their respective countries to combat smoking habits.
They also addressed the challenges faced in these endeavours, discussed the broader public health implications of the non-combustible nature of e-cigarettes, as well as their potential as alternatives to traditional cigarettes.
Among the myriad discussions at the summit, a significant focus revolved around the dangers of traditional smoking, prompting a robust dialogue on alternatives that pose less harm.
Distinguished experts shed light on the emerging options such as e-cigarettes, Iqos, snus, and vaping.
These alternatives have garnered attention for their potential to offer a less harmful avenue for individuals seeking nicotine consumption, and the summit served as a forum to evaluate their efficacy and safety in comparison to conventional cigarette smoking.
The summit acknowledged that the absence of combustion not only reshaped the user experience but held immense potential in redefining the health narrative associated with smoking.
Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a Professor of Hospital Management and Health Economics and Deputy Dean (Relation & Wealth Creation), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Medical Centre was among the speakers who shared their findings at the summit.
Speaking to newsmen after her presentation, Dr Sharifa Ezat said there was an urgent need for the introduction of a regulatory control over vape products in the country.
She said the move was crucial to prevent unsafe ingredients and unsafe levels of nicotine from being sold to consumers.
She believes regulatory control over vape products is one of the essential steps to prevent unsafe ingredients and unsafe levels of nicotine from being sold to consumers.
On the Generational End Game (GEG), she said while she sees it as a good move to prevent youth smoking, an outright ban would spur the black market.
She noted that as it is the incidence of illicit cigarettes at the national level, according to the Illicit Cigarettes Study (ICS) in Malaysia report by Nielsen Inc, was recorded at 56.6 per cent in 2022, one of the highest in the world.
“The issue arises when there is no regulation of vape products because then you don’t know the content and whether they are illegal or legal.
“Legal sellers should have proper labelling that reflects the contents and the nicotine concentration. Some of the respondents that we spoke to don’t even know the nicotine content in vape, meaning there is a risk that you may be taking more than what you get from smoking,” she added.
The situation is anticipated to be particularly dire in Sarawak and Sabah, where instances of illicit cigarette smuggling are believed to be rampant, possibly the most prevalent throughout the country.
Another speaker, director of Counterfactual Consulting Ltd, Clive Bates, said that e-cigarettes such as vapes, heated-tobacco products and oral smokeless tobacco were among the widely used methods to reduce the harm caused by regular cigarettes.
He believed that prohibitionist approaches may have unintended consequences that could lead to the growth of a black market for tobacco products.
“I don’t think the Generational End Game proposal is the way to deal with youth smoking. The best way to deal with it is to warn about the risk and the problems arising from smoking,” he said on the sidelines of the summit.
Citing the age prohibition method as an example, Bates said it has not been effective in preventing youth smoking.
“People get around it. You don’t need to deprive them or stop them. But what we can do is to control the access by regulating the market, including for vape and heated tobacco products.”
On the whole, the E-Cigarette Summit 2023 not only surpassed expectations in terms of attendance but also left an indelible mark on the discourse surrounding tobacco harm reduction, commonly referred to as THR.
As attendees dispersed, the reverberations of thought-provoking discussions echoed in the corridors, setting the stage for continued exploration and debate in the evolving landscape of e-cigarettes and public health.
