Research Articles

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. Click for detail

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. Click for detail

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. Click for detail

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." Click for detail

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. Click for detail

A risky exclusion (October 22, 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. Click for detail

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. Click for detail

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. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter July 2023 (August 17, 2023)
Nearly 80% of doctors worldwide mistakenly believe nicotine causes lung cancer, thwarting efforts to hold one billion smokers quit, according to a survey conducted in 11 countries. The survey of 15000 doctors in 11 countries - China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Africa, UK, and the US - has been conducted by Sermo and funded by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. The survey is aimed at developing actionable insights for accelerating an end to smoking. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter June 2023 (Muly 14, 2023)
It has now been almost two decades Pakistan ratified the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).Pakistan may have achieved some successes against tobacco use over the past 20 years, the dream of a future without tobacco smoking remains distant. Click for detail

The Potential Impact of E-cigarettes on the Life-Years Lost from Conventional Smoking in the Russian Federation (July 07, 2023)
E-cigarettes may help reduce smoking-related deaths in the Russian Federation, suggests a Healthy Initiative's study. According to their dynamic simulation model, there is significant potential for saving life-years in 88.1% of e-cigarette use scenarios. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter May 2023 (June 22, 2023)
ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan continues to grapple with the endemic of combustible smoking, the country needs to review, debate and adopt the groundbreaking advances in safer nicotine alternatives to achieve smoke free future sooner than later. Click for detail

Tobacco harm reduction (June 14, 2023)
In 2014, Pakistan made public the results of its Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS). The GATS is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators. It was termed as the "first nationally representative survey planned to collect data on tobacco use among adults as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards tobacco control measures." Click for detail