Research Articles

"Next Time It Could Be You" - The McCarthyism in Tobacco Control (January 26, 2023)
At the end of November, an extraordinary episode caused outrage: the expulsion of Karl Erik Lund from a conference on e-cigarettes held in France. Dr. Lund is one of the world's most prominent researchers on tobacco harm reduction. Currently with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, he has published important papers about snus and has testified on behalf of plaintiffs suing the tobacco industry. He has received a preventative medicine award from the Norwegian Medical Association, among many other roles and accolades. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter December 2022 (January 13, 2023)
The Federal Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) of Pakistan, in a recent move, has approved the Ministry of Health summary with regard to an SRO to regulate Heated Tobacco Products. For Pakistan, a country where 15 million adults smoke cigarettes, what does this move entail? Click for detail

Tobacco Harm Reduction in Afghanistan: A Recipe for Improving Smokers' Health (January 11, 2023)
Almost three million Afghans smoke daily, the majority of whom are teenagers. Smoking is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Afghans every year. The previous Afghan government made significant efforts to control and reduce tobacco use through tobacco cessation policies and strategies. However, these policies were not effective in reducing the number of smokers and smoking-related deaths. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter November 2022 (January 10, 2023)
ISLAMABAD: Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) has launched Pakistan's first knowledge hub on ending combustible smoking. The knowledge hub - www.smokefeepakistan.org - provides latest data on the use of tobacco and the tobacco harm reduction. Click for detail

Harm Reduction (January 09, 2023)
A State Medical Society member of PRI recently requested information on the value of vaping as a harm reduction solution to tobacco use. There is considerable information, pro and con, with respect to the subject of vaping and PRI was unable to give its member Medical Society an informed answer. Accordingly, the PRI Board decided to retain an expert with respect to vaping and related issues. Click for detail

2023 Vape Predictions | 17 Top Experts Share Their Thoughts (December 21, 2022)
Predicting the future of vaping can be hard - but whether you're in industry, research or advocacy, it's also key to making effective decisions. So every year we invite top experts from different countries, continents and fields to use their unique insight and expertise to peer into the future of vaping. (The extent of geography also means there is a bit of a switch between British and American spelling!) Click for detail

Pakistan Nicotine-Pouch Surge Brings Harm Reduction Hope in South Asia (December 17, 2022)
Globally, almost a third of tobacco consumers use oral products. Smokeless tobacco (SLT) is generally safer than combustibles. But traditional forms popular in South Asia pack a deadly punch, leading to more than 570,000 annual deaths. Click for detail

United States public health officials need to correct e-cigarette health misinformation (December 16, 2022)
Health misinformation is harmful as it can cause confusion and sow mistrust regarding the adoption of public health recommendations and policies. We provide examples of e-cigarette misinformation promoted by the United States public health officials, which have persisted despite new data challenging the validity of the original assertions. Click for detail

Can alternative nicotine products put the final nail in the smoking coffin? (December 15, 2022)
This review describes the evolution of smoking prevalence in countries with relatively high adoption of alternative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and snus compared to neighboring countries where these products are less prevalent. Click for detail

Free Vapes for Pregnant People Who Smoke, in UK Council Program (December 13, 2022)
In a bid to address health inequality and family poverty, a council in the United Kingdom will soon be handing out free vapes to pregnant people who smoke. Lambeth Council, a local authority in South London, already runs pregnancy smoking cessation services, which include behavioral support, counseling and access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) like patches. Click for detail

Sweden's Snus Success Story, as Country Nears "Smoke Free" Status (December 12, 2022)
The Swedish government has officially confirmed that smoking rates in the country have dropped to 5.6 percent, setting up the nation to become the first in Europe to reach "smoke free" status. The designation "smoke free," at least in the European Union and the United Kingdom, refers to smoking prevalence of less than 5 percent in a given population. Click for detail

ARI Newsletter October 2022 (December 06, 2022)

Today the idea of ending combustible smoking is being discussed as a reality which we may see in the next one decade. Some of the countries have already deadlines for wiping out the cigarettes. As a step towards a smoke-free future, the world is talking about the concept of tobacco harm reduction or THR.

Decision to regularize HTPs divides opinions on tobacco control in Pakistan (December 04, 2022)

ISLAMABAD: The government's decision to regularize the alternative innovative tobacco products has generated a debate on how it would affect the tobacco control initiatives in Pakistan. The federal cabinet's committee on disposal of legislative cases in its meeting on 1 December 2022 decided to regularize the heated tobacco products. The government plans to amend the law on pictorial health warning to regularize the use of heated tobacco products.