{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1803135,
        "msgid": "learning-from-the-uk-how-to-reduce-smoking-rates-1781457611",
        "date": "2026-06-14 23:08:00",
        "title": "Learning from the UK: How to Reduce Smoking Rates",
        "author": "Mirza",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Health Policy",
        "summary": "A new study reveals that e-cigarettes are the most popular and effective smoking cessation aid among adult smokers in England, with a 40% usage rate. Indonesian academics argue this harm reduction approach, supported by scientific evidence, could be adapted locally to help adult smokers switch, though they stress the need for proper education and regulation to prevent misuse among youth and non-smokers.",
        "content": "<p>Alternative tobacco products, particularly electronic cigarettes\n(vapes), have become the choice for adult smokers in England seeking to\nimprove their chances of successfully switching from smoking. This is\nevidenced in a scientific journal published in JAMA Network titled\n\u2018Prevalence of Popular Smoking Cessation Aids in England and\nAssociations With Quit Success\u2019 (2025). The research reveals new facts\nthat vapes were the most commonly used switching aid among adult smokers\nin England during the 2023-2024 period, with a usage rate reaching\napproximately 40 percent. The study, led by Principal Research Fellow in\nthe UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, Sarah E Jackson, stated that\nusing more effective methods can increase a person\u2019s success in\nswitching from smoking. \u201cAttempts to switch from smoking with the help\nof vapes have a higher chance of success compared to other methods,\u201d she\nsaid, as quoted on Sunday (14\/6\/2026). Professor at the Faculty of\nDentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad), Prof.\u00a0Dr.\u00a0drg. Amaliya,\nM.Sc., Ph.D, assessed that the development of alternative tobacco\nproduct use as a switching aid in England is interesting from the\nperspective of scientific breakthroughs to reduce tobacco harm.\nAccording to her, this approach is positioned as a harm reduction\nstrategy aimed at helping adult smokers who struggle to quit to switch\nto products with a lower risk profile. \u201cThe development of electronic\ncigarette use as a switching aid in England is one of the most prominent\nglobal case studies in using innovation to reduce tobacco harm. This\napproach is viewed as proactive harm reduction and is supported by\nscientific data regarding its effectiveness in helping adult smokers\nswitch,\u201d said Amaliya. She explained that several factors make\nalternative tobacco products considered more effective than nicotine\nreplacement therapy (NRT) for some consumers. The devices are considered\ncapable of mimicking the behavioural aspects of smoking, from\nhand-to-mouth movements to certain sensations not found in therapies\nlike patches or nicotine gum. Additionally, electronic cigarettes allow\nusers to regulate nicotine intake gradually, which is considered helpful\nin reducing the urge to return to smoking. The variety of devices is\nalso said to increase user compliance during the switching process,\nespecially for adult smokers with high levels of dependency. On the\nother hand, Amaliya emphasised that alternative tobacco products are not\ncompletely risk-free. However, the fundamental difference between vapes\nand cigarettes is the absence of a combustion process. Vapes use a\nheating system and produce vapour (aerosol), while cigarettes involve\ncombustion, producing smoke containing TAR and carbon monoxide, two\nharmful compounds linked to various smoking-related diseases. In her\nresearch on oral health and gingivitis, Amaliya observed differences in\noral cavity conditions between smokers and users of alternative tobacco\nproducts. She noted that smokers are more susceptible to gum problems,\ntooth discolouration, and plaque buildup due to exposure to combustion\nsmoke and TAR. \u201cAdult smokers who switch to alternative products show a\ntendency for better gum health compared to smokers. However, the public\nstill needs to understand that alternative products are not risk-free\nand their use must be accompanied by proper education,\u201d she said. With\nfacts showing electronic cigarettes are proven to implement harm\nreduction, Amaliya added the importance of education so that these\nlower-risk products can be widely utilised in Indonesia as an aid for\nadult smokers wanting to switch from smoking. This education needs to\nemphasise that alternative products are intended for adult smokers, not\nnon-smokers, adolescents, or pregnant women, to prevent misuse.\nNonetheless, Amaliya stressed that the best health standard remains\nquitting all tobacco and nicotine product use entirely. \u201cThe research\nand policy approach regarding alternative tobacco products needs to be\nbased on objective and transparent scientific evidence. Long-term\nclinical studies, the involvement of independent academics, and\nrisk-profile-based regulation are needed so that the public receives\ncomplete and not misleading information about alternative tobacco\nproducts,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/learning-from-the-uk-how-to-reduce-smoking-rates-1781457611",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}