Nicotine isn’t the sole villain: Experts on dangers of smoking

Dr Vijayndhran during the ‘Discovery Journey Toward a Smoke-Free Future’ talk organised by PMM at a hotel in Kuching on Aug 5, 2024.

By Marlynda Meraw

KUCHING, Aug 5: The true risk of smoking lies not in the nicotine but in the burning of cigarettes, as combustion leads to the production of smoke and the release of over 6,000 chemicals that are harmful to an individual’s health.

Dr Vijayndhran Balakrishnan, scientific engagement manager of Philip Morris Malaysia (PMM), said that while nicotine is responsible for the addiction to smoking, burning is far more dangerous, as it releases many harmful chemicals, with the temperature during the first puff of a cigarette reaching up to 800 degrees Celsius.

According to him, misconceptions towards smoking persist, with many people still believing that nicotine is the sole cause of smoking-related diseases.

“Nicotine is addictive, but it is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. Evidence has shown that nicotine actually carries minimal harm to users.

“That’s why we see the implementation of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT); the replacement therapy of harm reduction is still (using) nicotine,” said Dr Vijayndhran during the ‘Discovery Journey Toward a Smoke-Free Future’ talk at a hotel in Kuching today.

In terms of tobacco harm reduction (THR) and combating the dangers of smoking-related diseases, Dr Vijayndhran said that a good alternative apart from quitting smoking entirely is to go smoke-free, such as using heated tobacco products (HTPs).

He cited previous scientific studies showing that smoking cessation has proven to be more successful when individuals switch to HTPs, as these can serve as a gateway to gradually quitting smoking while also reducing harm compared to traditional cigarettes.

“The gold standard is that if you’re a smoker, quit smoking. Nobody doubts that nobody denies that,” said Dr Vijayndhran.

Meanwhile, another speaker, Associate Professor Dr Ng Yee Guan, highlighted that some commonly consumed foods, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and even tea, contain small traces of nicotine.

In Dr Ng’s perspective, when it comes to smoking, he encourages smokers who are looking to quit to go cold turkey.

“But of course, a lot of people (smokers) can’t (go cold turkey). So if you can’t, find an alternative on how to help you slowly convert and switch to a better (alternative),” said Dr Ng. — DayakDaily

Dr Ng during the ‘Discovery Journey Toward a Smoke-Free Future’ talk.