Panel session discusses various aspects of journey to smoke-free future

KUCHING (Aug 6): A panel session organised by Philip Morris Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PMM) here discussed various aspects of smoking, including nicotine addiction and the move towards having a smoke-free future.

The session, ‘A Discovery Journey Toward a Smoke-Free Future’, took place at a hotel here on Monday, was also attended by some 10 representatives of various media agencies.

Among the interesting points discussed was about the primary health risks associated with smoking deriving not only from nicotine.

In this regard, it was argued that the combustion of cigarettes, which produces smoke and releases over 6,000 harmful chemicals, could also cause these health risks.

One of the panellists, PMM scientific engagement manager Dr Vijayndhran Balakrishnan, talked about the concepts of nicotine, combustion and tar, and more about the dangers associated with cigarette smoking and the burning of tobacco.

According to him, while nicotine is responsible for smoking addiction, the combustion process is significantly more dangerous, releasing numerous harmful chemicals as the temperature during the first puff of a cigarette can reach up to 800 degrees Celsius.

“Many people mistakenly believe that nicotine is the primary cause of smoking-related diseases, which is also why misconceptions about smoking persist.

“Nicotine, although addictive, is not the main cause of smoking-related diseases. Evidence has shown that nicotine actually poses minimal harm to user, and this is why nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is implemented.

“It still uses nicotine as part of harm-reduction strategies in tobacco-harm reduction to combat the dangers of smoking-related diseases,” said Dr Vijayndhran.

Another panellist Dr Ng Yee Guan, an associate professor from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), also said the health risks in smoking were actually caused by the combustion of cigarettes, and not nicotine.

“This is why the knowledge on tobacco-harm reduction is important, and Malaysians should realise that.

“If we practise tobacco-harm reduction, this can positively impact public health outcomes in Malaysia.”

Malaysian Society of Harm Reduction chairman Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh opined that if Malaysians could not give up smoking altogether, then they should find better alternatives.

“The technology exists to help those who are unable to give up smoking, thus encourage them to explore these options if they cannot break the habit.

“We now have science-based non-smoking alternatives, which showcase innovations that can reduce the harm associated with tobacco use. Please opt for those alternatives instead,” she said.

Meanwhile, PMM head of corporate communications Veronica Choo briefed the media on the necessity of science-based regulations to manage tobacco use effectively.

In her presentation, she provided insights into how tobacco harm reduction strategies were being implemented in other countries, and emphasised the importance of adopting similar approaches in Malaysia.

Choo did acknowledge that these alternatives were not entirely risk-free, but pointed out that they were ‘significantly better options than the conventional cigarettes’.

“It is crucial for Malaysia to adopt these strategies, as they have proven to be successful elsewhere. We also recognise that a smoke-free future is essential for the world today.

“By developing smoke-free products, although not entirely risk-free, we believe we can contribute to this future. These alternatives are certainly better options than the conventional cigarettes,” said Choo.

PMM is an affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI).