Saving Lives and Promoting Smoke-Free Futures.
Discover the impact of evidence-based strategies on global health.
What is Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR)?
Trending Now
We have created the ultimate THR resource for Policy Makers and Health Professionals
Integrating Harm Reduction Into Tobacco Control
Lives Saved Insights
Did You Know?
Kazakhstan could prevent 165,000 premature deaths through the adoption of THR and related measures
165,000

Tobacco Harm Reduction, So What?
Tobacco harm reduction (THR) isn’t just an abstract policy idea—it’s a life-saving strategy with real-world implications. If we strip away the technical terms, THR is about helping millions of people who smoke transition to less harmful alternatives, ultimately reducing smoking-related disease and death.
Read about tobacco harm reduction in action – Sweden’s gift to the World.
Smoke-Free Sweden
Did You Know?
Over the past 15 years, Sweden has slashed its smoking rates from 15% in 2008 to 5.3% (RHS) today.
Human, D. Milton, A., Fagerström, K., & (2023). The Swedish Experience: A Roadmap to a Smoke-Free Society. Smoke Free Sweden.

15
The Big Questions About THR:
Why does banning products not work?
Banning both cigarettes and smoke-free nicotine products fails public health goals because it ignores the realities of addiction, consumer behavior, and harm reduction. History shows that outright prohibitions lead to black markets, unregulated products, and continued use rather than cessation. Smokers who can’t or won’t quit are left with no safer alternatives, increasing illicit cigarette trade and unsafe DIY nicotine use. Instead of reducing harm, such bans remove regulated, lower-risk options, making it harder for smokers to transition away from combustible tobacco. A harm reduction approach—offering safer alternatives while discouraging smoking—has proven far more effective in reducing smoking rates and related diseases.
Why do we need alternative products?
We need alternative nicotine products because not all smokers can or will quit, and providing safer options significantly reduces smoking-related harm. Traditional cessation methods like patches and gums have limited success, while harm reduction products—such as e-cigarettes, snus, and nicotine pouches—offer a realistic, less harmful pathway for smokers to switch away from combustible tobacco. Countries like Sweden, where alternatives are widely used, have the lowest smoking rates and smoking-related diseases in Europe, proving that offering alternatives is a more effective public health strategy than prohibition or abstinence-only approaches.
Tobacco harm reduction - so what?
THR saves lives—it’s that simple. Smoking kills over 8 million people a year, and while quitting nicotine entirely is ideal, many smokers can’t or won’t quit. THR provides safer alternatives like e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and snus, which dramatically reduce exposure to harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Countries like Sweden and the UK have proven that embracing THR leads to lower smoking rates, fewer smoking-related diseases, and massive public health gains. Ignoring THR means accepting preventable deaths. The real question isn’t “So what?”, but “Why aren’t we doing more?”