Over the years, much of the published research articles on ‘Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR),’ originate from Europe, North America and parts of Asia. However, Nigeria also has an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the global evidence base.
As one of Africa’s largest economies, with an established research community and expanding healthcare infrastructure, Nigeria is well positioned to generate locally relevant evidence that reflects African populations, health systems and consumer realities.
Going forward, healthcare professionals will remain central to this process. Physicians, pharmacists, researchers and public health specialists require access to robust, up-to-date scientific evidence to support informed clinical advice, while policymakers must continue balancing innovation with the responsibility to protect public health, prevent youth uptake and ensure robust regulatory oversight.
Goodwill Iboma, public health advocate and consultant, Lagos State ministry of health, stated that the future of tobacco control is unlikely to be defined by a single intervention. Instead, it will depend on the ability of science, regulation and public health practice to develop together.
‘As new evidence continues to emerge, one principle remains constant: public health policy achieves the greatest impact when it is informed by credible research, rigorous evaluation and a steadfast commitment to Improving health outcomes.’
According to him, public health advances have often raised difficult questions. From vaccines and antibiotics to HIV prevention and road safety, many of the world’s most significant health advances emerged because scientists challenged long-held assumptions and searched for better solutions. ‘Tobacco control is no exception,’ he added.
Today, one of the most closely followed debates in global public health centres on Tobacco Harm Reduction, an approach that seeks to answer an important public health question is: can the health impact associated with cigarette smoking be reduced for adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking?
Accordingly, scientific research has long established that the greatest health risks associated with smoking arise from the combustion of tobacco. While nicotine is addictive and not without risk, evidence consistently indicates that it is the toxic chemicals produced through burning, not nicotine itself, that are responsible for most smoking-related diseases.
‘This distinction has prompted growing research into smoke-free nicotine products, including heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems and oral nicotine pouches,’ Iboma stated.
According to him, the objective is not to determine whether these products are harmless, but whether adult smokers who completely switch from combustible cigarettes can reduce their exposure to many of the harmful chemicals produced by burning tobacco.
For many public health experts, this represents one of the most significant areas of contemporary tobacco science, particularly because millions of smokers continue to smoke despite repeated attempts to quit.
Sweden has become one of the most widely referenced case studies after recording one of Europe’s lowest smoking prevalence rates. Researchers attribute this achievement to a combination of strong tobacco control policies and the availability of regulated smoke-free nicotine alternatives for some adult smokers.
Japan has also attracted international attention following substantial declines in cigarette sales after the introduction of heated tobacco products, while the United Kingdom and New Zealand continue to evaluate the role of regulated smoke-free alternatives within broader smoking cessation strategies for adults.
These experiences reinforce an important point: Tobacco Harm Reduction is not a replacement for tobacco control measures.
Rather, it remains an area of active scientific investigation within the broader public health response to smoking and is recognised as a component of the World Health Organisation (WHO) framework convention on tobacco control.
‘For Nigeria, the relevance of this conversation lies not in replicating the experience of any single country but in remaining open to credible scientific evidence as it continues to emerge,’ Iboma stated.
According to him, Nigeria has made significant progress in tobacco control through legislation, smoke-free policies, public education and implementation of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control.
He added that preserving these gains while continuously evaluating emerging evidence is consistent with the way effective public health policy has evolved across many areas of healthcare.