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Harm minimisation and the role of NRT
Ann McNeill
Abstract
Underpinning most tobacco use is a dependence on nicotine. Whilst nicotine is the addictive substance however it is other components of cigarette smoke that do most of the damage. Cigarettes are equivalent to the dirty syringe in illicit drug use and are a very dirty form of nicotine delivery. Should we therefore be encouraging smokers who cannot stop to use less harmful nicotine products, thereby adopting a harm minimisation strategy alongside cessation and primary prevention strategies? Nicotine replacement therapy products are much less harmful forms of nicotine delivery than cigarettes but currently are more tightly regulated in terms of how and when they can be used and are less accessible than cigarettes. If smokers are to be encouraged to use NRT in a harm minimisation strategy, then changes will need to be made to NRT products to make them more accessible and attractive to smokers. Commercial innovation would probably also need to be encouraged to produce a new and better range of satisfying recreational nicotine products. This presentation discusses the pros and cons of adding such a harm minimisation strategy to our current proven tobacco control strategies including the impact on cessation services.
Biography
Ann McNeill is an honorary senior research fellow at the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London and is an independent consultant in public health. Prior to this she worked in a managerial capacity at the then English Health Education Authority managing national smoking education programmes, and as a researcher at the Addiction Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry where her PhD focused on the development of nicotine dependence. Ann's current interests cover nicotine and tobacco product regulation, smoking cessation, smoking and mental health issues and the development of dependence on smoking. Last year she acted as scientific coordinator for the European Commission funded ASPECT project which examined tobacco control across Europe. Dr McNeill has published many articles and reports and co-authored two books on tobacco control.
Ann McNeill
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Dept of Epidemiology & Public Health
2-16 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 6BT
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