Alternative Tobacco Products Considered as a Potential Harm Reduction Approach

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The harm reduction approach, or Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), is starting to gain attention in public health discourse in Indonesia. This approach is considered a potential alternative for adult smokers who have not yet been able to quit smoking completely.

Professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, Padjadjaran University, Prof Amaliya, said that the concept of THR involves encouraging adult smokers to switch to alternative tobacco products which are considered to have lower risks compared to conventional cigarettes.

According to her, products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches are part of a harm reduction strategy to minimize health impacts when completely quitting smoking is not yet possible.

“The concept of harm reduction is aimed at active smokers who find it difficult to quit so that they switch to lower-risk products, not as an entry point for non-smokers or young people to start consuming nicotine,” said Amaliya, Sunday (17/5/2026).

She likened this strategy to the use of helmets or seat belts while driving. According to her, this step does not eliminate risk completely, but reduces the potential for fatal consequences.

Amaliya believes that public health policies need to move beyond a purely restrictive approach. She argues that realistic and applicable strategies are needed to reduce the health impacts of smoking in society.

“Policies should not only focus on bans, but on realistic steps to reduce the harmful effects of smoking on public health. Therefore, its implementation needs to be monitored with regulations, education, and supervision for the benefit of public health,” she said.

A similar view also emerged from the results of research by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) entitled Evaluation of Laboratory Tests for E-Cigarettes in Indonesia Based on WHO’s Nine Toxicants.

BRIN researcher, Prof Bambang Prasetya, said that the research showed that alternative tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products have lower levels of toxic compounds compared to conventional cigarettes.

According to him, this is because there is no combustion process that produces TAR in alternative tobacco products.

“Because there is no combustion process that produces TAR, alternative tobacco products indicate a potential reduction in health risks of up to 80-90 percent compared to burning cigarettes,” said Bambang.