[Strategies for reducing risks in smoking: opportunity or threat]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Tobacco Control
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• World Health Organisation (WHO) smoking control policies have yielded minimal success in reducing prevalence and high mortality rates in developed nations.
• Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and smokeless tobacco products are explored as potential harm reduction strategies.
• Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREP) encompass smokeless tobacco with low nitrosamines and modified cigarettes, aiming to lower individual risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effects of harm reduction strategies, including PREP, on smoking prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.
• To analyze the potential implications of these strategies within the Spanish context.
• To evaluate the role of new tobacco products in current smoking control policies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of smoking control policies and harm reduction strategies.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREP).
• Assessment of tobacco control measures in Spain.

Main Results:

• While WHO policies show slight prevalence decreases, mortality remains high.
• Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREP) are proposed for smokers unwilling or unable to quit.
• Current tobacco control measures in Spain are insufficient.

Conclusions:

• The marketing and advertising of new tobacco products, even reduced-risk ones, represent a significant threat to effective smoking control in Spain.
• Prioritizing established, effective control policies is crucial for Spain.
• Harm reduction strategies like PREP may undermine comprehensive tobacco control efforts.