Health experts have called for the adoption of Sweden's approach to reducing smoking-related deaths by embracing harm reduction strategies.

A Tobacco harm reduction roundtable discussion held on September 26, 2024, in Tema by the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), focused on the urgent need to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use, especially combustible cigarettes, in Ghana.

Peter Bismark Kwofie, Executive Director of ILAPI, pointed out that tobacco smoking claims over 8 million lives annually worldwide, with 6700 of these deaths occurring in Ghana due to smoking-related diseases.

He emphasized the need for a progressive stance on harm reduction strategies for those unwilling or unable to quit smoking.

Kwofie compared the harm reduction approach to the widespread use of condoms in preventing HIV/AIDS.

"If people cannot abstain from sex because of HIV and AIDS, what can minimize the risk of contracting the disease? Condoms," he remarked.

He suggested that similarly, less harmful alternatives such as vaping, nicotine pouches, and snus should be promoted to mitigate the risks of smoking combustible cigarettes.

He criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) stance on tobacco cessation, noting that quit rates for combustible cigarettes are extremely low, ranging from 3% to 12%, while relapse rates can be as high as 75% in the first six months of quitting.

"If abstinence alone cannot fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, it cannot fight the harm caused by smoking either," Kwofie argued.

The roundtable placed significant emphasis on Sweden's tobacco harm reduction strategy, which has led to the lowest smoking rates in the world.

Dr. John Tengey, a public health expert, provided an overview of Sweden's success in reducing smoking prevalence through the accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of safer nicotine alternatives.

He noted that Sweden’s approach includes the legal status of snus, a smokeless tobacco product, and the government's consumer-friendly regulations on vaping and nicotine products.

According to Dr. Tengey, Ghana has a smoking prevalence rate of 8.4%, which is projected to rise in the coming years.

He shared alarming statistics from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), revealing that 8.9% of Ghanaian students aged 13-15 currently use tobacco products and that tobacco use among students has been increasing since 2005.

Adopting the Swedish approach, the speakers argued, could dramatically improve public health in Ghana.

AM/KA

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