SUPPING WITH THE DEVIL: PROMOTING TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION USING LOW NITROSAMINE SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCTS
seminar
[SGDP] Seminar Rooms A & B
from 13:00, Friday, 11 April 2008
ends 14:00, Friday, 11 April 2008
Description
In Sweden, cigarette smoking among men has declined as snus, a smokeless tobacco product which is low in carcinogenic nitrosamines, has gained in popularity. Epidemiological modelling of the health effects of snus use in Sweden experience suggests that there would be major public health gains if a substantial number of current smokers in other countries could be persuaded to switch to these products. This form of "tobacco harm reduction" is very controversial in the public health community for reasons that will be discussed and evaluated in this paper. These include: in principle objections to tobacco harm reduction from advocates of a policy goal of zero tobacco use; uncertainties about the long term health effects of these products; scepticism about the likely interest in and uptake of these products by existing smokers; concerns that increasing the availability of these products will increase the number of new tobacco users and eventually the number of smokers in the population; and anxieties about how the tobacco industry may use these products to undermine current tobacco control policies.
Speakers
Wayne Hall: School of Population Health, University of Queensland Chair: Professor Gunter Schumann
seminar
[SGDP] Seminar Rooms A & B
from 13:00, Friday, 11 April 2008
ends 14:00, Friday, 11 April 2008
Description
In Sweden, cigarette smoking among men has declined as snus, a smokeless tobacco product which is low in carcinogenic nitrosamines, has gained in popularity. Epidemiological modelling of the health effects of snus use in Sweden experience suggests that there would be major public health gains if a substantial number of current smokers in other countries could be persuaded to switch to these products. This form of "tobacco harm reduction" is very controversial in the public health community for reasons that will be discussed and evaluated in this paper. These include: in principle objections to tobacco harm reduction from advocates of a policy goal of zero tobacco use; uncertainties about the long term health effects of these products; scepticism about the likely interest in and uptake of these products by existing smokers; concerns that increasing the availability of these products will increase the number of new tobacco users and eventually the number of smokers in the population; and anxieties about how the tobacco industry may use these products to undermine current tobacco control policies.
Speakers
Wayne Hall: School of Population Health, University of Queensland Chair: Professor Gunter Schumann
Comment