Ammon – In a unique event, broadcast on the Internet to the whole world, Spain hosted the Tobacco Risk Reduction Summit 2023, in the presence of more than 700 international and local experts in the field of medicine and prevention of the dangers of smoking, representing more than 15 countries around the world, with the aim of Introducing and discussing everything related to the concept of reducing the risks of smoking and its role in reducing its harms.
Hundreds of public health and smoking prevention experts called on governments around the world to adopt “risk reduction” policies that rely on reducing the risks associated with smoking. The average exposure to harmful substances from e-cigarettes is much lower compared to traditional cigarettes.
The Tobacco Risk Reduction Summit 2023 witnessed the holding of 3 broad discussion sessions. The concept of reducing tobacco risks on a global scale was discussed in two sessions, while the third session was devoted to Spain. The sessions witnessed a presentation and analysis of the latest scientific developments and global experiences in the concept of risk reduction, as well as new studies that support its effectiveness as a complementary tool for prevention and cessation in the fight against smoking.
The experts presented the details of the latest study conducted by the Ministry of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom, which is the eighth study, which confirmed that the use of electronic tobacco products reduces risks in vital indicators of cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases for users of modern smoking tools. There is also solid evidence that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes aid smoking cessation, evidence reflected in the significant decrease in smoking rates in the UK seen in recent years.
During the various sessions of the conference, experts stressed that now we have more scientific evidence than ever before that confirms the risk reduction offered by alternative tobacco products, in addition to being an ideal step towards complete cessation.
In a session devoted to discussing smoking conditions in Spain, the experts noted that according to the data contained in the latest EDADES 2022 survey of smokers’ data, the results show that smoking rates continue to rise despite the issuance of two anti-smoking laws over the past 20 years. This requires the development of new policies and approaches, whether in the field of health care or at the level of adopting new tools to provide more effective and realistic solutions for adult smokers in Spain, as there are about 10 million smokers in Spain.
