Briefing Papers
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.
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.
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.
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.
The FCTC COP10 Agenda and supporting documents: implications for the future of tobacco harm reduction
Our latest Briefing Paper looks ahead to the upcoming COP10 meeting in Panama and assesses what the Agenda could mean for the future availability of the safer nicotine products that underpin tobacco harm reduction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
82 million vapers worldwide in 2021: the GSTHR estimate
The popularity of nicotine vaping products continues to grow around the world as smokers choose to make the switch to safer alternatives and our latest research estimates the global number of vapers increased by 20% between 2020 and 2021.
Fighting the Last War: the WHO and International Tobacco Control
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control isn't working. Here we use the key messages from the latest Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report, Fighting the Last War, to argue why tobacco harm reduction must be adopted urgently by the WHO.
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP): an explainer (2021)
With the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) taking place from 8 - 13 November 2021, here's our guide to explain how the meeting works.