FEBRUARY 12 — Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of non-communicable disease (NCD). It is also the one risk factor common to the four main groups of NCD: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes.

Reducing tobacco smoking is therefore key to driving down the global incidence of deaths from NCD —  an ambition both reflected in and quantified by the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Despite all the efforts of tobacco control, the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than eight million people a year around the world. More than seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke[1].

In Malaysia, there are some 4.8 million smokers and is estimated that more than 27,200 Malaysian’s deaths annually are related to smoking[2]. Media reports have also reported that the government is expected to spend some RM7.4 billion[3] in treatment for major illnesses caused by smoking, such as lung cancer and coronary heart problems by 2025.

Although there have been many intervention programmes initiated by the Government, not many smokers have successfully quit. In 2019, it was reported that over a seven-year period, a total of 73,836 smokers participated in smoking cessation programmes in Malaysia, but all of 23 per cent quit within six months, representing only 16,930 individuals[4].

It is clear from the statistics that the current strategies for reducing smoking incidences are not nearly enough to deliver on our country’s public health agenda. It is therefore vital that we continually evaluate our strategies for decreasing tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.

One such strategy is the adoption of scientific, evidence-based innovations such as vape, and developing pragmatic policies and regulations that allow the use of these products to reduce the levels of disease (morbidity) and death (mortality) from tobacco use among smokers.

In a recent report published by DARE (Datametrics Research & Information Centre), a Malaysian based think-tank, analysis found that vape alone, through regulations and encouraging cigarette smokers to switch to vape as a less harmful alternative can reduce the smoking population in Malaysia to four million by 2025 or less than 15% of the overall Malaysian population.

Further, the report estimated that vape will help the country to reduce its healthcare spend on treating smoking-related diseases by a whopping RM1.3 billion in 2025 alone. These are significant figures that we cannot disregard.

DARE’s findings support many substantial international studies which demonstrate that if smokers are given the option of less harmful products which are available, affordable, accessible and appropriate, they will be willing to make the switch. I strongly believe that with correct, unbiased information about such science-based tools to smokers and public, along with properly and fairly regulated policies, Malaysia will be able to achieve the target of 5% smokers in 2045 or earlier.

* Dr. Arifin Bin Fii is a medical practitioner currently focusing on addiction therapy, with experience in conducting harm reduction programmes. With close to 30 years in practice, Dr. Arifin has a multi-disciplinary background which includes general medicine, paediatrics and surgery.

 ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.