Closing the Harm Reduction Gap: EMPOWERing People Who Smoke
Lindsay Reese1, Marina A Murphy2, Kim Murray3
1Scientific Affairs, HAYPP Group, Stockholm, SWE.
Cureus
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Global tobacco control strategies need reform. Shifting focus to harm reduction and person-centered approaches, rather than abstinence-only, can effectively reduce smoking rates and health inequities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Policy
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Current tobacco control frameworks, including the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and MPOWER package, have had limited success in addressing the needs of individuals who continue to smoke.
- Populations continuing to smoke are often from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, with lower educational attainment and limited healthcare access, where structural factors significantly influence tobacco use.
Keywords:
health equityhealth policynicotinepatient-centered carepublic policyrisk reduction behaviorsmokingMore Related Videos
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