Tobacco harm reduction key to saving millions in Asia-Pacific – former WHO Director

A former official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a new approach to tobacco harm reduction in Asia-Pacific, where smoking prevalence remains the highest in the world.

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Professor Tikki Pang, a senior global health consultant for the Center for Healthcare Policy and Reform Studies in Jakarta and a former Director of Research Policy and Cooperation at WHO, spoke at a webinar hosted by the Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN) on Aug. 17. The event, “The WHO FCTC, 20 years on,” examined tobacco control efforts and the future of harm reduction in the region.

“The fact is that Asia-Pacific, specifically Asia, has the highest number of global tobacco users. The number is staggering. It is 781 million people. That represents 63 percent of the global total of people who use tobacco,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

Loucas said the provisional agenda for the upcoming WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) conference in November wrongly dismisses harm reduction as a tobacco industry narrative.