Thursday, August 11, 2022
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home Business Biz Plus

Health experts cite nicotine’s role in resolving the smoking epidemic

Manila Standard BusinessbyManila Standard Business
July 1, 2022, 9:00 am
in Biz Plus, Business
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
138
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

Nicotine, a food-grade substance that has been shown to have stimulant and sedative effects, plays an important role in helping smokers quit, according to public health experts.

Vaping device

Experts said the introduction of innovative products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products that deliver nicotine without combustion provides smokers an opportunity to drastically reduce the harm caused by cigarettes by switching to these alternatives.

Prof. David Sweanor, chair of the advisory board at Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics in University of Ottawa, said that like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which is prescribed by doctors, smoke-free products can help smokers quit.

Unlike combustible cigarettes which involve burning or combustion which unleashes thousands of harmful chemicals, these innovative products deliver nicotine at vastly reduced risks, he said.

Prof. Gerry Stimson, a British social scientist and tobacco harm reduction advocate, explained that cigarettes are a harmful delivery mechanism for nicotine, but nicotine itself doesn’t cause tobacco-related diseases.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nicotine is the main ingredient of various forms of NRT prescribed by doctors to help patients quit smoking.

Stimson said innovation also gave rise to smoke-free alternatives that deliver nicotine at vastly reduced risks, including Swedish snus and e-cigarettes or vapes. The UK’s Royal College of Physicians concluded that vaping is “likely to be at least 95 percent less hazardous than smoking”.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 6,000 chemicals and ultrafine particles, including 80 carcinogens or potential carcinogens.

Dr. David Khayat, a French cancer expert, said nicotine is not among the substances that cause cancer. “Smokers commonly misperceive that nicotine is a major carcinogen,” he said.

He quoted the Cancer Research UK as saying that nicotine does not cause cancer, as people have been using nicotine replacement therapy safely for many years.  “NRT is safe enough to be prescribed by doctors,” the research center said, referring to nicotine patches, gums, spray, oral inhalers and tablets.

Sweanor said it is the smoke, and not nicotine, that kills smokers. “Let them know it is the smoke, not nicotine, that will kill them,” he said.

He said this means that nicotine has a significant role to address the smoking epidemic which results in 8 million annual deaths globally.  He said NRT has been an integral part of smoking cessation policy, which proves that nicotine is not what causes the diseases linked to smoking.

“We have known at least since the ground-breaking work of Professor Michael Russell in the 1970s that people smoke for the nicotine but die from the smoke. As seen with nicotine pharmaceutical products and through very long-term use of an oral tobacco product called ‘snus’ in Sweden, nicotine can be delivered with minimal risks once the smoke and ancillary toxins are removed,” Sweanor said.

The US Food and Drugs Administration said, “the toxic mix of chemicals—not nicotine—causes the serious health effects among those who use tobacco products, including fatal lung diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer”.

The toxic substances such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic and DDT are produced by the burning of dried tobacco leaf and are subsequently inhaled by the smoker.

Prof. Peter Hajek, director of the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at Wolfson Institute of Public Health, Queen Mary University of London said unfortunately, some anti-nicotine campaigners spread misinformation or exaggerate that nicotine is brain poison as they feel that they are fighting the right cause.  He said there is no clear scientific evidence to such claim.

Hajek predicted that “smoking-related cancer, heart disease and lung disease will eventually disappear as smoking is made obsolete by much less risky nicotine products that do not include combustion”.

These smoke-free products are also significantly more effective than NRT in making smokers quit, according to Public Health England, the highest medical authority in the UK.

The use of such smoke-free products such as vapes and HTPs are forms tobacco harm reduction—a public health strategy that aims to provide less harmful alternatives to reduce harms caused by smoking and to provide nicotine to people who cannot or do not want to quit smoking by themselves or with currently approved methods.

A survey commissioned by consumer advocacy group Vapers PH from Aug. 3 to 15, 2021 found that 88 percent or nearly nine of 10 adult Filipino smokers would consider switching to smoke-free alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.  The survey involved 2,000 legal-age smokers (above 18) and vapers (above 21) nationwide.

This is expected to help more than 16 million Filipino adult smokers, most of whom are likely to keep smoking under traditional smoking cessation strategies.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2015) showed that the Philippines had a measly 4 percent smoking quit rate, which reflects the ineffectiveness of currently approved smoking cessation strategies such as “quitting cold turkey” and NRT.

More than a million Filipino adult smokers have already switched to smoke-free products such as vapes and HTPs, according to consumer groups.

Sweanor said tobacco companies that are aware of the problem should embrace transformation and replace combustible cigarettes with less harmful smoke-free nicotine products.

Tags: NicotinesmokingVape
ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Standard Business

Manila Standard Business

Related Posts

Home Credit pays tribute to Publico

byManila Standard
August 11, 2022, 6:55 pm
0
128
Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton

Home Credit Philippines recognized the invaluable contributions of Atty. Rodolfo Publico to the company and to the finance industry. Atty....

Read more

Market surges; Jollibee, Ayala Land lead gainers

byManila Standard
August 11, 2022, 6:50 pm
0
129
Stock market surges; PLDT, Globe advance

The stock market surged Thursday as investors breathed a sigh of relief after data showed US inflation finally easing from...

Read more

US inflation eased in July amid falling crude prices

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:45 pm
0
130
Banaag assumes post as Bright Kindle director

WASHINGTON, United States—Red-hot US inflation cooled slightly in July, which could open the door for the Federal Reserve to dial...

Read more

Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:40 pm
0
128
Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton

By Marcelo Silva De Sousa CRISTALINA, Brazil—The road through Cristalina, Brazil is in the middle of the tropics, but the...

Read more

Elon Musk sells nearly $7-b worth of Tesla shares

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:35 pm
0
131
World’s richest man Elon Musk no longer joining Twitter board—CEO

WASHINGTON, United States—Elon Musk has sold nearly $7 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to legal filings, amid a high-stakes...

Read more

Singapore cuts ‘22 economic growth forecast on strong global headwinds

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:30 pm
0
131
Banaag assumes post as Bright Kindle director

SINGAPORE, Singapore—Singapore on Thursday narrowed its economic growth forecast this year after the economy contracted in the second quarter compared...

Read more

Stories you may like

  • Zubiri new Senate President, vows to uphold chamber’s independence

    Marcos sees stronger PH-India relations

    5751 shares
    Share 2300 Tweet 1438
  • Showbiz icon Cherie Gil dies at 59

    2617 shares
    Share 1047 Tweet 654
  • Replevin and its common law origins

    1260 shares
    Share 504 Tweet 315
  • Fuel rollback next week, power rate cut in August

    1215 shares
    Share 486 Tweet 304
  • PBBM should probe excessive salaries, allowances of Diokno, BSP officials

    864 shares
    Share 346 Tweet 216

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Pflanzenole: Helps you live with the viruses
  • Home Credit pays tribute to Publico
  • Market surges; Jollibee, Ayala Land lead gainers
  • US inflation eased in July amid falling crude prices
  • Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton
  • Elon Musk sells nearly $7-b worth of Tesla shares
  • Singapore cuts ‘22 economic growth forecast on strong global headwinds
  • Trump declines to answer questions in NY civil probe

Advertisement

Latest News

Elon Musk sells nearly $7-b worth of Tesla shares

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:35 pm
0
131
World’s richest man Elon Musk no longer joining Twitter board—CEO

WASHINGTON, United States—Elon Musk has sold nearly $7 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to legal filings, amid a high-stakes...

Read more

Singapore cuts ‘22 economic growth forecast on strong global headwinds

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:30 pm
0
131
Banaag assumes post as Bright Kindle director

SINGAPORE, Singapore—Singapore on Thursday narrowed its economic growth forecast this year after the economy contracted in the second quarter compared...

Read more

Trump declines to answer questions in NY civil probe

byCharles Dantes
August 11, 2022, 6:25 pm
0
131
Trump declines to answer questions in NY civil probe

New York—Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer questions under oath about alleged fraud at his family business, as legal...

Read more

Taiwan holds live-fire military drill after China repeats control threats

byAFP
August 11, 2022, 6:20 pm
0
143
Taiwan blasts ‘evil neighbor’; US, allies rebuke China military drills

Taipei—Taiwan’s army held another live-fire drill Thursday after Beijing ended its largest-ever military exercises around the island and repeated threats...

Read more

PH sports icon Lydia de Vega succumbs to cancer

byManila Standard Sports
August 11, 2022, 6:19 pm
0
460
PH sports icon Lydia de Vega succumbs to cancer

Asia’s former sprint queen Lydia De Vega Mercado lost her battle to Stage 4 cancer on Thursday, her family announced....

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App