Improving public health in modern times significantly depends on decreasing tobacco consumption. When basic needs like safety and sustenance are met, humans often seek activities that paradoxically endanger their well-being. These include unhealthy eating habits, substance abuse, tobacco use, and high-stress lifestyles. Meanwhile, the expression harm reduction has become a battlefield of opinions.
Among these harmful behaviors, tobacco consumption stands out as particularly detrimental to health. Minimizing tobacco-related harm is crucial, though the concept of harm reduction remains a contentious topic among experts.
Tobacco claims over 6 million lives annually, twice the mortality rate of alcohol-related deaths, making harm reduction vital. But what’s the solution? Some experts advocate for complete cessation or “cold turkey” approach. Research indicates this method, particularly when combined with therapeutic interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, yields promising results.
Traditional nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches or gums, substitute one form of nicotine for another. While these methods help manage physical withdrawal symptoms, they often fail to address the underlying nicotine dependency, and their effectiveness rates remain disappointing.
Just quit why don’t you?
Advising smokers to simply quit is as ineffective as telling those struggling with obesity to just eat less. Nicotine’s powerful addictive properties can hook users even with occasional consumption. Alternative nicotine delivery methods like pouches, patches, or gum significantly reduce health risks. The primary danger lies in tobacco combustion, which produces tar and numerous toxic compounds. Therefore, switching to smokeless tobacco products, including snus and chewing tobacco, substantially decreases health risks.
This brings us to a complex situation. The tobacco industry, despite its history of manipulating scientific data, now promotes “harm reduction” as an innovative solution. However, NGOs, media outlets, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders remain skeptical of these claims.
In Sweden, where smokeless tobacco snus has been used since the 1820:s. the smoking rates are remarkably lower than comparable nations. The correlation between smokeless tobacco use and reduced smoking rates is evident. However, in today’s media landscape driven by engagement metrics, controversy, and emotional appeal, harm reduction strategies are often portrayed as opponents of tobacco-free living. And hence, seen as no more than a devilish scheme from the tobacco industry.
Harm reduction has become a battlefield of opinions
In January 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a range of nicotine pouches as nicotine replacement therapy. Perhaps now, the resistance from the pharma industry against nicotine pouches as NRT won’t be as intense. But I wouldn’t bet on it. Not being addicted to anything is a wonderful thing. But perhaps we can be resonable?
There are many influencers out there trying to convince decision makers that the only function of nicotine pouches is to lure young people into nicotine addiction. Just about every product in Swedish Smokeless’ product range is formulated and designed to attract adult smokers. And if someone try our products and decides to stick with them, the health risks are a fraction of smoking tobacco.
When perfect (meaning a nicotine free life) has become the main enemy of good (which is tried and tested harm reduction) – who wins?
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