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Tobacco harm reduction (THR) is a public health strategy to lower the health risks associated with using nicotine, as an example of the concept of harm reduction, a strategy for dealing with the abuse of other drugs. Smoking tobacco is widely acknowledged as a leading cause of illness and death.〔 However, nicotine itself is not very harmful, as inferred from the long history of use for nicotine replacement therapy products.〔 Thus, THR measures have been focused on reducing or eliminating the use of combustible tobacco by switching to other nicotine products, including: #Cutting down (either long-term or before quitting smoking) #Temporary abstinence #Switching to non-tobacco nicotine containing products, such as pharmaceutical nicotine replacement therapies or currently (generally) unlicensed products such as electronic cigarettes #Switching to smokeless tobacco products such as Swedish snus #Switching to non-combustible organic or additive-free tobacco products It is widely acknowledged that discontinuation of all tobacco products confers the greatest lowering of risk. However, approved smoking cessation methods have a 90% failure rate, when used as directed.〔 In addition, there is a considerable population of smokers who are unable or unwilling to achieve abstinence. Harm reduction is likely of substantial benefit to these smokers and public health.〔〔 Providing reduced-harm alternatives to smokers is likely to result in lower total population risk than pursuing abstinence-only policies. The strategy is controversial: proponents of tobacco harm reduction assert that lessening the health risk for the individual user is worthwhile and manifests over the population in fewer tobacco-related illnesses and deaths.〔〔 Opponents argue that some aspects of harm reduction interfere with cessation and abstinence and might increase initiation.〔Sumner W, 2005. Permissive nicotine regulation as a complement to traditional tobacco control" ''BMC Public Health'' 5:18. ()〕 ==History== The concept of tobacco harm reduction was established in 1976 when Professor Michael Russell wrote: "People smoke for nicotine but they die from the tar" and suggested that the ratio of tar to nicotine could be the key to safer smoking.〔〔 Since then, the harm from smoking has been well-established as being caused almost exclusively by toxins released through the combustion of tobacco.〔 In contrast, non-combustible tobacco products as well as pure nicotine products are considerably less harmful, although they still have the potential for addiction.〔 Debates on tobacco harm reduction tend to be geographically defined arguments, because of the varying legal, moral, and historical status of tobacco, and the different types of tobacco products and use in different cultures around the world. For instance, cigarette smoking is the dominant form in the United States, while use of cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco is limited to a much smaller population. Anti-smoking advocacy efforts and widespread popularization of the negative health effects of smoking over the last few decades have led to restrictions in the sale and use of tobacco products. Despite this, tobacco in all its forms has remained a legal product in most societies. A notable exception is the European Union, where the most dangerous products (cigarettes) are available but smokeless tobacco products, which are far less hazardous, are banned. The exception is Sweden, where there is a long tradition of smokeless tobacco use among men. In October 2008 the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) became the first medical organization in the U.S. to officially endorse tobacco harm reduction as a viable strategy to reduce the death toll related to cigarette smoking.〔(Update on the Scientific Status of Tobacco Harm Reduction, 2008-2010 ). Prepared for the American Association of Public Health Physicians. Brad Rodu, DDS and (Joel L Nitzkin ), MD. June 28, 2010.〕〔(Principles to Guide AAPHP Tobacco Policy ). American Association of Public Health Physicians.〕 Joel Nitzkin, MD〔(Joel L Nitzkin ). LinkedIn.〕 wrote: "So if we can figure that the nicotine in the e-cigarettes is basically a generic version of the same nicotine that is in prescription products, we have every reason to believe that the hazard posed by e-cigarettes would be much lower than one percent, probably lower than one tenth of one percent of the hazard posed by regular cigarettes."〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/interviews/joel-nitzkin-electronic-cigarette.html )〕 In the United States, tobacco controllers and other anti-smoking advocates are opposed to harm reduction approaches.〔 They are generally motivated by an irrational hatred of tobacco and substantial financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.〔 Anti-tobacco extremists have successfully lead a disinformation campaign resulting in the widespread use of misleading health claims aimed at preventing smokers from learning about the lifesaving potential of harm-reduction approaches.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tobacco harm reduction」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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