Wednesday, May 18, 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

Harm reduction seen to stem Asia’s smoking epidemic

Manila Standard BusinessbyManila Standard Business
November 14, 2018, 7:45 pm
in Biz Plus
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
72
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

Leading think tanks asked policy makers in Asia to consider adopting tobacco harm reduction approach and provide access and accurate information on alternative nicotine products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and snus.

This was the key message of the 2nd Asia Harm Reduction Forum held today at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City, which gathered leading thinkers from the fields of science, technology, health, policy and consumer advocacy from across Asia and the Pacific. 

Co-organized by the Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines and Yayasan Pemerhati Kesehatan Publik Indonesia (YPKP- Indonesian Public Health Observer Foundation), the regional forum builds on the success of the 1st Asia Harm Reduction Forum held in Jakarta, Indonesia last year. 

Participants said that despite strict government regulation, high taxes and extensive public awareness campaigns, smoking remains a major public health issue in Asia, with over half of the world’s smokers living in the region.

The forum aims to educate society on harm reduction through better alternative products and to promote and advocate for practical solutions that can contribute to the improvement of overall public health. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Its ultimate goal is the integration of harm reduction as a strategy by legislators and the public alike, with the end-goal of ensuring improved health and a healthy environment. 

Rep. Anthony Bravo of Coop-NATTCO Party-list, a leading advocate of tobacco harm reduction in the Philippines, delivered the keynote speech during the forum. 

Panelists from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, India and Sweden focused on identifying ways to regulate alternative products in support of tobacco harm reduction in the forum’s morning session. “Many Asian countries remain very skeptical about tobacco harm reduction, and some have even banned alternative nicotine products. Regulators need to see that tobacco harm reduction is potentially the most effective solution to solving the smoking epidemic in Asia, and can complement existing tobacco control measures,” said Harap lead convenor Prof. Ron Christian Sison.

Apart from the point of view of policy makers, AHRF 2018 also presented the latest scientific developments in tobacco harm reduction from leading health practitioners and academics. 

It noted that there is a growing body of evidence supporting the public health benefits of tobacco harm reduction, particularly the development of less harmful nicotine delivery systems. 

Public Health England of the United Kingdom and the Food and Drug Administration of the United States are among the authorities that have adopted tobacco harm reduction in formulating their tobacco control policies.

The forum featured a powerhouse line-up of international speakers. 

Prof. Tikki Pangestu of Singapore discussed evidence-informed public health policies for harm reduction while Dr. Marewa Glover shared the New Zealand Approach to Tobacco Harm Reduction.

Dr. Hiroya Kumamaru talked about alternative tobacco products in Japan and their positive impact to accelerating the decline in the country’s smoking rate while Dr. Kgosi Letlape shared the tobacco harm reduction experience in South Africa from which Asian countries may learn.  Prof. Helen Redmond of the New York University – Silver School of Social Work, discussed vaping and vulnerable populations. 

Sison said that as Asia today has the highest number of smokers in the world, the public health benefit from tobacco harm reduction in the region would be immense. “The Asia Harm Reduction Forum provides a venue for scientists, health practitioners, academicians, policy observers, as well as consumers to exchange ideas on how best to advance tobacco harm reduction in Asia. We believe that this Forum will greatly benefit the public health sector and particularly smokers in Asia who deserve improved access to alternative tobacco products,” he said.

“The ‘quit or die’ approach in Indonesia does not work for some smokers. Therefore, it is time to consider the ‘quit or try’ approach; that is, try alternative nicotine products,” said YPKP co-founder Dr. drg. Amaliya. She said that smoking prevalence is declining at record speed in countries such as the UK and Japan where alternative nicotine products are widely available. 

Amaliya said that thanks to innovation and technology development, alternative nicotine products are now available to provide a satisfying and less harmful option for smokers to get their nicotine fix without the harmful tar. “We need to actively inform policymakers about tobacco harm reduction and the potential benefit of alternative nicotine products to public health,” she said.

More than half of the world’s smokers are in Asia. 

In 2005, 49 percent of men and 14 percent of women in Japan smoked. In 10 years, the country’s smoking rate has decreased to 18.2 percent of the total population, according to the 2018 State of Smoking Survey. 

The global survey revealed that the decline in Japan’s smoking rate has accelerated in recent years with the entry of heated tobacco products in the market. 

The 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey showed that almost 1 in 4 (23.8 percent) Filipino adults were smokers. 

The smoking rate among Filipino women (5.8 percent) is among the highest in Asean. On average, smokers in the region start smoking before the age of 20. The average age of smoking initiation among Filipino daily smokers is 17.8 years. Indonesia currently has the world’s highest smoking rate of 76.2 percent among males aged 15 and above.

According to the UK Tobacco Control Plan, around 3.2 million people in the UK are currently using e-cigarettes, with an estimated 40 poercent of them using e-cigarettes as a stop smoking tool and tens of thousands successfully quitting smoking each year as a result.

Tags: 2nd Asia Harm Reduction ForumAsiaelectronic cigarettesheated tobacco productssmoking epidemicsnustobacco harm reduction
ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Standard Business

Manila Standard Business

Related Posts

SM Foundation expands apprenticeship program

byManila Standard
May 17, 2022, 6:55 pm
0
133
SM Foundation runs mobile clinics

SM Foundation, along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment and the Technical Skills...

Read more

McDonald’s leaving Russia and selling business in country

byAFP
May 17, 2022, 6:25 pm
0
135
McDonald’s leaving Russia and selling business in country

NEW YORK, United States—American fast-food giant McDonald’s said Monday it will exit Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion,...

Read more

Billionaire Adani in $10.5-b deal for Holcim India’s cement business

byAFP
May 16, 2022, 6:55 pm
0
149
Banaag assumes post as Bright Kindle director

MUMBAI, India—Indian billionaire Gautam Adani struck a $10.5-billion deal to buy Swiss cement giant Holcim’s local business, the companies said,...

Read more

TrueProfile shares tips on how to land a healthcare job abroad

byManila Standard Business
May 14, 2022, 7:10 pm
0
200
Farm-Ready opens four ornamental greenhouses

After long hours of studying, countless exams, hospital rotations, and clinical internships, healthcare graduates are finally ready to put their...

Read more

LandBank, government agencies spark hope for Antique student

byManila Standard Business
May 14, 2022, 7:00 pm
0
171
Farm-Ready opens four ornamental greenhouses

Laua-an, Antique—In this rural town, the future shines bright for 21-year-old college student Marvie Ann Berdin. Only a few years...

Read more

NICKEL ASIA CORPORATION: Notice of Annual Stockholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 14, 2022, 8:30 am
0
154
NICKEL ASIA CORPORATION: Notice of Annual Stockholders’ Meeting

Read more
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