MANILA, Philippines – NANAWAGAN ang mga eksperto na tanggapin o suportahan ang harm reduction sa nalalapit na tobacco control summit ng World Health Organization sa Nobyembre. Ipinagkakapuri ito bilang ‘proven method’ para bawasan ang smoking-related deaths.
Sa isang briefing na hinost ng Consumer Choice Center sa Makati City, kapwa nanawagan ang global at Filipino experts para sa WHO Framewrok Convention on Tobacco Control na “fully integrate harm reduction into tobacco control.”
“The evidence is clear: combustion kills, not nicotine. Safer alternatives exist and are effective. This is the time to stand with science and evidence,” ang nakasaad sa joint statement.
Sinabi ni CCC president Fred Roeder na, “Many countries have seen different results with harm reduction approaches, yet these strategies remain largely unexplored in Southeast Asian policy discussion.”
Tinukoy ni Roeder ang report ng Public Health England na nagpapakita na ang vaping ay 95% ‘less harmful’ kaysa sigarilyo, sinasabing ang mas ligtas na alternatibo ay ‘paradoxically attacked more fiercely than cigarettes.”
“Nicotine consumers are not the enemy,” ayon naman kay Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines president Anton Israel.
“We need honest education that reaches the grassroots so smokers understand that less harmful alternatives exist,” ang tinuran pa rin ni Israel.
Idinagdag pa niya na ang WHO ay dapat na ‘not punish us for failing to quit. Help us succeed.”
Binigyang diin naman ni Dr. Lorenzo ng Quit for Good na “harm reduction means three things in practice: offering safer alternatives when abstinence isn’t possible, supporting incremental improvements instead of demanding perfection and building trust instead of shame or fear.”
Aniya, napatunayan ng RA 11900 na ang regulasyon at hindi ang prohibisyon o pagbabawal ang tamang ‘public health approach.’
Nagbabala naman si Urologist Dr. Rogelio Varela na hindi lamang COPD at lung cancer ang naidudulot ng usok ng tabako kundi maging ‘bladder at kidney cancers.’
Isiniwalat naman ni Economist Christopher Cabuay na “smoking costs the Philippines nearly $10 billion a year.”
Binatikos naman ni Nancy Loucas ng CAPHRA ang WHO dahil sa pagtrato sa mas ligtas na nicotine alternatives bilang “threats instead of solutions.”
Pinuri naman ni Michael Landl ng World Vapers’ Alliance ang tax system sa Sweden. KRIS JOSE
