Smoke-free Products Confirmed to Have Lower Health Risks than Traditional Cigarettes
MANILA, Philippines – A recent commentary published in a peer-reviewed medical journal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products (FDA-CTP) has affirmed that smoke-free products, such as vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, pose significantly lower health risks compared to conventional cigarettes.
According to FDA-CTP Director Brian King, non-combustible tobacco products like e-cigarettes generally carry lower health risks for users than traditional tobacco products. This information has been welcomed by consumer advocacy groups in the Philippines, who have long believed in the harm reduction potential of smoke-free alternatives.
Anton Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), stated that smoke-free products offer smokers a way to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals associated with smoking-related diseases. The commentary, titled “Nicotine e-cigarettes: Considerations for healthcare providers,” highlights the findings of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which concluded that switching entirely from cigarettes to e-cigarettes can reduce exposure to harmful toxins and carcinogens.
Published in Nature Medicine, the commentary emphasizes the importance of healthcare providers discussing the relative risks of different tobacco products with adult smokers. It also addresses common misperceptions among physicians that may hinder smokers from transitioning to e-cigarettes.
Joey Dulay, president of the Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association (PECIA), believes that tobacco harm reduction (THR) products could help millions of Filipino smokers quit cigarettes. He noted that the Philippine Congress recognized the role of smoke-free products in harm reduction when it enacted the Vape Law in 2022 to regulate vapes and novel tobacco products.
Smoke-free products like vapes and heated tobacco emit aerosols with 95 percent fewer harmful chemicals than tobacco smoke produced by combustion. Dr. Lorenzo Mata Jr., a tobacco harm reduction advocate and occupational medicine physician, urged medical professionals to consider the benefits of THR for helping smokers switch to less harmful nicotine alternatives.
The commentary advises against youth using any form of tobacco products and stresses the importance of evidence-based cessation methods for adult smokers. With the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the use of smoke-free alternatives, more smokers may consider transitioning to lower-risk products in an effort to improve their health.
