1) Tobacco harm reduction (THR) is struggling to gain
credibility and acceptance among the public health
establishment.
2) Those who are skeptical of the harm reduction
potential of alternative tobacco products, such as
e-cigarettes, worry about youth initiation, the role
of big tobacco in research and production and the
newness of the products themselves.
3) THR advocates highlight emerging research that
suggests electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)
may reduce health risks and increase quit rates for
cigarette smokers. They also express concern that
ENDS bans would undermine those benefits while
contributing to overcriminalization.
4) An integrated approach would acknowledge the
overlaps between historically siloed issues, including:
comorbidities among populations served; the goal
of reducing health disparities; and the commitment
to providing a practical public health solution that
accepts and supports individual autonomy.