Briefing Papers


A smokefree UK? How research, policy and vapes have cut smoking rates

The number of people who vape in the United Kingdom is soon set to exceed the number who smoke for the first time. This Briefing Paper explores the United Kingdom’s progress towards becoming smokefree, highlighting both the successes and the challenges.

English 2022 Web page
English 592 PDF Document
German 393 PDF Document
Polish 370 PDF Document
Portuguese 348 PDF Document
Spanish 362 PDF Document
Swahili 383 PDF Document



Smoking and vulnerable populations: supporting smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction in social work

Social workers build relationships with individuals who are often from marginalised or vulnerable communities where smoking rates are disproportionately high. This Briefing Paper calls for tobacco harm reduction to become more integrated into their work to reduce the harms from smoking.

English 3573 Web page
English 1559 PDF Document
Arabic 1533 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 2086 PDF Document
French 1785 PDF Document
German 1555 PDF Document
Hindi 989 PDF Document
Indonesian 1422 PDF Document
Japanese 1471 PDF Document
Polish 1488 PDF Document
Russian 1431 PDF Document
Spanish 1548 PDF Document
Swahili 1431 PDF Document

Cigarette sales halved: heated tobacco products and the Japanese experience

In the ten years following the introduction of heated tobacco products to Japan, sales of cigarettes have fallen by 52% in Japan. This Briefing Paper explores some of the factors that have helped bring about this startling decline alongside the rapid growth of heated tobacco products.

English 4614 Web page
English 1872 PDF Document
Arabic 1669 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 2391 PDF Document
French 1631 PDF Document
German 1723 PDF Document
Hindi 1713 PDF Document
Indonesian 1835 PDF Document
Japanese 1861 PDF Document
Polish 1723 PDF Document
Russian 1673 PDF Document
Spanish 1982 PDF Document
Swahili 1670 PDF Document

Tobacco harm reduction and people experiencing homelessness – a UK perspective

With such high smoking rates among people who experience homelessness or rough sleeping in the UK, this Briefing Paper looks at the potential for tobacco harm reduction to help reduce the health inequalities seen in this vulnerable population.

English 4163 Web page
English 2308 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 2688 PDF Document
French 2158 PDF Document
Portuguese 2229 PDF Document
Russian 1796 PDF Document
Spanish 2246 PDF Document

Tobacco harm reduction consumer advocacy organisations

Tobacco harm reduction consumer advocacy organisations play a vital role in maintaining access to safer nicotine products around the world. Here we explore the development, role and importance of these grassroots groups.

English 3699 Web page
English 1397 PDF Document
Arabic 2053 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 2153 PDF Document
French 2261 PDF Document
German 2149 PDF Document
Hindi 1902 PDF Document
Indonesian 2022 PDF Document
Japanese 2014 PDF Document
Polish 1998 PDF Document
Portuguese 1741 PDF Document
Russian 1991 PDF Document
Spanish 1976 PDF Document
Swahili 1873 PDF Document


The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the Conference of the Parties (COP): an explainer (updated April 2023)

With the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) taking place in November 2023, here's our updated guide to explain how the meeting works. Scroll down to access this document in multiple languages.

English 3008 Web page
English 2005 PDF Document
Arabic 1371 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 1858 PDF Document
French 1483 PDF Document
German 1512 PDF Document
Hindi 1358 PDF Document
Indonesian 1473 PDF Document
Japanese 1508 PDF Document
Polish 1625 PDF Document
Portuguese 1542 PDF Document
Russian 1502 PDF Document
Spanish 1906 PDF Document
Swahili 1389 PDF Document

What are nicotine pouches?

Nicotine pouches are a relatively new product which can provide users of high-risk tobacco with an alternative that poses fewer risks to their health. Here we provide an introduction to the tobacco harm reduction potential of this category.

English 3409 Web page
English 987 PDF Document
French 550 PDF Document
German 1104 PDF Document
Indonesian 969 PDF Document
Polish 1198 PDF Document
Portuguese 675 PDF Document
Russian 887 PDF Document
Swahili 644 PDF Document

The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2022: The Right Side of History

This Briefing Paper summarises The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2022: The Right Side of History, which charts the history of tobacco harm reduction to date, and considers the future for a strategy that could end smoking.

English 1436 Web page
English 1249 PDF Document
Arabic 1323 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 1495 PDF Document
French 1102 PDF Document
German 1028 PDF Document
Hindi 933 PDF Document
Indonesian 962 PDF Document
Japanese 1179 PDF Document
Polish 980 PDF Document
Portuguese 1019 PDF Document
Russian 978 PDF Document
Spanish 1026 PDF Document
Swahili 1041 PDF Document

What is snus?

Used in Scandinavia for more than 200 years, snus is providing smokers in Sweden and Norway with an alternative to combustible cigarettes, but what is it and why is it considered a safer nicotine product? This Briefing Paper aims to provide the answers.

English 1675 Web page
English 1082 PDF Document
Arabic 2034 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 3660 PDF Document
French 1061 PDF Document
German 1226 PDF Document
Hindi 562 PDF Document
Indonesian 1448 PDF Document
Japanese 941 PDF Document
Polish 1394 PDF Document
Portuguese 1326 PDF Document
Russian 1158 PDF Document

Tobacco harm reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa

With the number of tobacco users across the continent set to rise by 2025, we look at the current state of tobacco harm reduction in the region, assessing the progress made so far and the obstacles preventing greater adoption of safer nicotine products.

English 1167 Web page
English 917 PDF Document
Arabic 1012 PDF Document
French 947 PDF Document
Swahili 854 PDF Document

The right to health and the right to tobacco harm reduction

Tobacco harm reduction is not only a potentially life-saving public health intervention for the world’s 1.1 billion smokers, it's also supported by international human rights law. Here we make the case for promoting tobacco harm reduction as a health rights issue.

English 1551 Web page
English 929 PDF Document
Arabic 1010 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 1083 PDF Document
French 1169 PDF Document
German 1042 PDF Document
Indonesian 1023 PDF Document
Japanese 914 PDF Document
Polish 949 PDF Document
Portuguese 966 PDF Document
Russian 908 PDF Document
Spanish 1097 PDF Document
Swahili 977 PDF Document

What is Tobacco Harm Reduction?

Tobacco harm reduction is a potentially life-saving intervention for millions of people across the world who use high-risk tobacco products, offering them the chance to switch to a range of safer nicotine products. Here, we provide a detailed introduction to the principles, history and evidence for this vital public health strategy.

English 3602 Web page
English 1558 PDF Document
Arabic 1711 PDF Document
Chinese (Mandarin) 2678 PDF Document
French 1605 PDF Document
German 1595 PDF Document
Hindi 1402 PDF Document
Indonesian 1645 PDF Document
Japanese 1446 PDF Document
Polish 1311 PDF Document
Portuguese 1423 PDF Document
Russian 1547 PDF Document
Spanish 1956 PDF Document
Swahili 2370 PDF Document