E-cigarettes and harm reduction: An evidence review (April 19, 2024)

A new reported published by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) looks at the part e-cigarettes can play in preventing death, disability and inequalities from tobacco use.

ARI Newsletter February 2024 (April 01, 2024)

Syed Yawar, 35, a manager in a private firm, started smoking in 2009. Hooked to the habit, he was smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes a day. However, this also brought cough attacks, chest infection and shortness of breath. In the meantime, like all adult smokers in Pakistan, Yawar made quitting attempts but could not give up smoking.

ARI Newsletter January 2024 (March 26, 2024)

In my 36 years of fghting the smoking epidemic, one of the most important lessons I've learned is that there is no single action that supports all adults who smoke trying to quit. One size does not at all. I am heartened that tobacco use remains a key priority for global health leaders, as evidenced by the tenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP10) last week. Leaders from the 168 countries that have signed the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) spent five days discussing the best practices to lower smoking rates from a top-down policy approach.

Tobacco harm control (March 01, 2024)

As in the rest of the world, approaches to effective tobacco control have faltered in Pakistan. Currently tobacco control efforts are at a standstill. Globally, the World Health Organisation estimates 8.5 million tobacco-related deaths annually. These tobacco-related deaths are projected to increase to 10 million every year before registering a decrease.

ARI Newsletter November 2023 (December 21, 2023)

Muhammad Haider Mehmood, 26, a media monitor, started smoking back in 2015. He was soon addicted to the habit of using 20 cigarettes a day. His health started deteriorating as smoking resulted in chronic health issues. "I am suffering from hypertension and breathing issues because of smoking," he told Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) in Blue Area, Islamabad. He tried many times to quit smoking but he was unable to do so. "I could not give up," he added.

ARI Newsletter October 2023 (December 06, 2023)

Ahmed Ali, 33, a MBBS student, started smoking in 2017. He became addicted to smoking as he gradually increased the consumption of cigarettes and started more than 20 cigarettes a day. Consequently, his health deteriorated. "I have health issues like acidity, cough attacks and an upset stomach." He toldthe Alternative Research Initiative (ARI), in an interview at Jinnah Super Market, Islamabad. He tried to quit smoking. For this, he has given a chance to Velo but the product has not helped him. Further, he noticed that it has serious side effects on health. "By using Velo, I became a diarrhea patient and have continued stomach issues."

ARI Newsletter September 2023 (November 05, 2023)

Azhar Bilal, 45, a civil engineer, started smoking back in 1997. Young and energetic, Bilal was hooked to the habit as he started more than 20 cigarettes a day. This resulted in severe cough attacks. "I would have these attacks in the night," he told Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) in an interview on phone from Lahore. However, he continued to smoke combustible cigarettes. "I simply could not give up." He went to Dubai for a job but was unable to quit smoking.

A risky exclusion (October 26, 2023)

The tenth session of the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, along with the third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, will be held in Panama next month. The tenth session of COP will be held from November 15 to 20 while the MOP3 will be held from November 27 to 30.

E-cigarettes are not a gateway into smoking (September 25, 2023)

The most comprehensive study to date investigating whether e-cigarettes are a gateway into or out of smoking finds that, at the population level, there is no sign that e-cigarettes and other alternative nicotine delivery products promote smoking.

ARI Newsletter August 2023 (September 14, 2023)

It has been scientifically proven that the alternative products - E-cigarettes, snus, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn - are less harmful than combustible smoking and can be used as effective smoking cessation aid. But it is so unfortunate that the misleading information and a prohibitionist approach towards the alternatives are the stumbling blocks in efforts to end combustible smoking.