A positive trend – cigarettes are gradually being replaced by smokeless products
According to the results of the Latvian population survey conducted by the research company SKDS in the summer of 2024, which were presented on September 11 at the expert seminar “Trends and reality of tobacco harm reduction in 2024”, tobacco and nicotine-containing products are regularly used by a quarter of the population in Latvia between the ages of 18 and 75 years, but on separate occasions – 9%. 29% of respondents used tobacco and nicotine-containing products in the past, but now no longer use them, while 36% have never used them.
Although cigarette smoking is still the dominant way of starting and using tobacco products – that is, with them 85% started regular use of tobacco and nicotine products – a positive trend can be observed – to gradually replace cigarettes with smokeless products that emit a lower level of harmful substances.
“The survey data show that the number of users of tobacco and nicotine products in society as a whole does not change, however, cigarette users are gradually starting to choose less harmful alternatives, and the number of users of the most harmful tobacco product – cigarettes – is decreasing in Latvia,” emphasizes Arnis Kaktiņš, director of SKDS, which conducted the study.
Compared to 2022, the proportion of cigarette users in 2024 has decreased from 72% to 67%, while the number of e-cigarette users has increased from 38% to 43%, the number of heated tobacco users has increased from 16% to 21%, and the number of users of tobacco-free nicotine pads has increased from 3% to 8%.
Better feeling and no smelly smoke
Professor of the University of Latvia, Doctor of Sociology Aija Zobena emphasizes that smoking of traditional cigarettes is decreasing among younger people, because their use is considered a habit harmful to health. Therefore, less harmful alternatives to cigarettes, such as smokeless products, are being sought. Switching to smoke-free products is often interpreted as a step towards quitting smoking. The tobacco harm reduction strategy is supported by many studies and is being applied in, for example, Sweden and the UK. Its purpose is to invite smokers to choose less harmful products, thus reducing the amount of harm caused by tobacco products,” admits A. Zobena.
Respondents who have replaced cigarette smoking with smokeless products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco or nicotine pads are more likely to admit that it has generally had a positive effect on their well-being or health.
Users of smokeless products emphasize the fact that these products do not smoke, their breath, hands and clothes do not stink from their use (59%), these products are less disturbing to others (50%), and these products can be used indoors (50%) ). Similarly, 31% of respondents started using smokeless nicotine products because it is a less harmful alternative to smoking cigarettes and other classic tobacco products, 30% – because there is a wider choice of flavors, and 24% to stop or reduce smoking cigarettes and other classic tobacco products.
Overall, 28% of respondents believed that it would be better if smokers of traditional tobacco products who are unable to quit smoking try to switch to alternative smokeless products.
Addictions cannot be defeated by bans
The ineffectiveness of bans and the need for a complex approach in the case of addiction problems were pointed out at the seminar by the psychologist, lecturer of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Łudas Vincentas Sinkevičius. “It is quite illusory to believe that the world will ever come to a time when there will be no addictions and people will not use addictive substances. It should be noted that addictions are not related so much to specific substances, but more to behavioral problems. Therefore, reducing addictions requires complex solutions and a multifaceted approach. Addiction cannot be cured and a person will have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Banning substances, persecuting or punishing addicts will not solve the problem. On the other hand, the harm reduction approach shows quite good results. So, for example, harm reduction is effective in cases of addiction to substances such as opiates and nicotine, while in the case of alcohol and stimulant use, it is not a viable alternative,” admits V. Sinkevičius.
Māris Sproga, member of the board of the smoke-free industry association, is convinced that the move towards a smoke-free society in Latvia is inevitable, despite the ineffective prohibition policy: “It is important to understand the connections between society’s behavioral problems and addictions, which cannot be treated, rather than independently ignoring reality and comforting ourselves with a prohibition policy as a panacea for all sore questions. Unfortunately, the responsible institutions of Latvia are especially distinguished by living in their own “bubble” and not being able to communicate.”
The threat of the gray market is growing
Evaluating the Saeima’s decision to allow the sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine pads only with tobacco flavor from 2025 in Latvia, 39% of respondents who use these products at least once a month emphasized that they would also buy these products with other flavors in online stores, social networks or from friends and acquaintances. On the other hand, 37% of the respondents stated that they would buy these products with other flavors in foreign stores in person whenever there is an opportunity. Only 18% admitted that they would buy these tobacco-flavored products available in Latvia. Another 16% will consider quitting tobacco and nicotine products, while 8% are ready to start smoking cigarettes again.
“The study clearly shows the position of society and the further actions of users – on the one hand, people will buy products abroad and tax revenues will not stay in Latvia, but on the other hand, the more bans there are, the greater will be organized crime in this area. Another feature is that bans on new products will lead to the fact that people will start using old, more harmful products again”, admits A. Kaktiņš.
Saule Bernotiene, a representative of ELSKI (European Life Science & Knowledge Institute), emphasized that such policies and prohibitions have no scientific basis. Lithuania’s experience also shows that such flavor bans indirectly support organized crime, as the trade in tobacco and nicotine products is taken over by organized crime groups, and illegal trade in social media channels increases. It should be noted that the users themselves are also potentially harmed, as various products of unknown quality and origin enter the market. At the same time, the state’s revenues are decreasing and, therefore, the opportunities to increase funding for health care are also decreasing.”
Contrary to bans, which aim to radically change people’s behavior, harm reduction strategies focus not on changing user behavior, but on changing products with the aim of reducing the harmfulness of the product itself. “It has been proven that vapes contain on average 97.44% less toxic substances than cigarettes, while heated tobacco contains 89.15% less toxic substances on average. Users of vapes and heated tobacco quit smoking more often and suffer less from damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,” says S. Bernotiene.
The expert also emphasized that the current problem is the awareness and readiness of health care professionals to get involved in reducing the harm of smoking. “Healthcare professionals have a duty to inform and advise patients based on the latest available clinical and scientific data. They must have sufficient knowledge to encourage patients to make informed and informed decisions about their treatment. It is important that patients can receive advice on how to implement smoking cessation or harm reduction strategies and receive appropriate assistance in this process,” explained S. Bernotiene.
The Smoke Free Industry Association (BNA) is a non-governmental organization with the goal of promoting constructive discussion about reduced-risk alternatives for adult smokers, reducing the harm of cigarettes and creating a smoke-free society. BNA targets smuggling, counterfeiting, tax evasion and actively cooperates with consumer rights monitoring organizations. The organization conducts regular research on the current affairs of the industry in the aspect of public health and represents the interests of its members in discussions with state institutions.
2024-09-12 18:17:11