Public health in Ghana is experiencing a dynamic period of transformation, one increasingly defined by the intersection of technology, behavioural science, and innovation. Public health has always used the principle of Harm Reduction, where evidence-based strategies have helped in the risk reduction of STIs, including HIV-AIDS, and substance abuse. Within this landscape, Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) has emerged as a forward-looking concept that seeks to reduce the health risks of nicotine use for adults through less harmful, non-combustible products.
The New England Journal of Medicine (2023) reports that the elimination of combustion, the process responsible for producing most of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke, significantly lowers exposure to toxicants. Similarly, Nature Medicine (2024) highlights that users of non-combustible nicotine products have substantially lower biomarkers of exposure compared to cigarette smokers. The Royal College of Physicians (2023) adds further weight to this evidence, noting that “nicotine itself, while addictive, is not the primary cause of smoking-related disease,” and that well-regulated alternatives can play a complementary role in the continuum of harm reduction.
Ghana’s growing emphasis on wellness, prevention, and health education can certainly benefit from such an approach. While complete cessation remains the ideal and the gold standard, global evidence suggests that for adults who continue to use nicotine, switching to scientifically validated alternatives can lead to meaningful reductions in risk. For Ghana, this scientific consensus creates an opening to integrate THR into its broader strategy for health advancement, not as a replacement for prevention, but as an additional route to reduce the burden of smoking-related illness.
Moreover, insights from BMJ Global Health (2022) and The Lancet Public Health (2023) point to the importance of education and communication. When consumers understand the difference between combustible and non-combustible products, they are better equipped to make informed decisions. For a country like Ghana, with an information-driven population, accurate public health messaging can help ensure adult smokers are aware of scientifically supported alternatives while safeguarding youth and the non-smokers from unintended exposure.
Public health experts increasingly advocate for an inclusive dialogue that brings together policymakers, researchers, and health educators to promote awareness about harm reduction. The World Health Organisation’s 2024 Global Report on Harm Reduction notes that innovation in nicotine science, when guided by transparency and ethics, can complement existing strategies for disease prevention and health promotion.
In this context, Ghana’s opportunity lies in education, collaboration, and the responsible dissemination of science. By supporting evidence-based dialogue and encouraging informed choices, the country can align itself with global best practices in modern health management. THR represents not a departure from public health principles, but an expansion of them; one that acknowledges the realities of human behaviour and uses innovation to minimise risk.
Tabacco Harm Reduction, with its principle based on the general Harm Reduction strategies, is committed to evidence, focuses on the harms and recognition of the risks associated with drug use. While Public Health policies are mainly formulated based on science and the data produced by research, it is therefore necessary to allow the empirical evidence produced by science to lead the fight against Tobacco.
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By Dr John Tengey (Medical Epidemiologist, Physician and a Public Health Advocate).
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