Why do anti-smoking advocates mostly seem to oppose tobacco harm reduction?
It is unfortunate that the term anti-tobacco is seen by many to be synonymous with anti-smoking. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere, almost all the harm in tobacco comes from burning it and then inhaling the smoke. For many in the anti-smoking movement, the passion for reducing tobacco use overrides all other concerns. These concerns include any evidence that some forms of tobacco use might be preferable to others (such as smokeless tobacco helping people quit smoking), or that nicotine might be of benefit under some conditions (as it is for some schizophrenics, Parkinson’s sufferers, and people with Tourette’s syndrome[1]), as well as overstating of the dangers of anything associated with tobacco (such as second hand smoke[2]). This approach offers little relief to the inveterate smoker who, if they had all the information, might consider switching to a low harm alternative like smokeless tobacco. However pushing the “all tobacco is equally harmful” message restricts the users’ options to “
It is unfortunate that the term anti-tobacco is seen by many to be synonymous with anti-smoking. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere, almost all the harm in tobacco comes from burning it and then inhaling the smoke. For many in the anti-smoking movement, reducing tobacco use overrides all other concerns. These concerns include reducing the health risks of nicotine users by substituting ST for cigarettes, or acknowledging that nicotine might be beneficial under some conditions (as for some schizophrenics, Parkinson’s sufferers, and people with Tourette’s syndrome[1]), as well as exaggerating the dangers of anything tobacco-related (such as second hand smoke[2]). This approach offers little relief to the inveterate smoker who, if they had all the information, might consider switching to a low harm alternative like smokeless tobacco. However pushing the “all tobacco is equally harmful” message restricts the users’ options to “quit or die”. Condemning all tobacco use as equally bad undermines the
