Pangestu noted that Indonesia has around 69 million smokers. Apart from having an impact on public health, the high number of smokers has implications for socio-economic aspects, such as the burden of health budgets due to smoking habits.
"Based on a public health and socio-economic perspective, (this) requires strategies as well as interventions and policies that will allow a reduction in the prevalence of smokers in Indonesia,” Pangestu noted at the Alomedika seminar themed "Reducing the Harm of Smoking: Is Tobbaco Harm Reduction Feasible?" as reported here on Saturday.
He said the current strategy for the government is to apply the concept of reducing harm by utilizing alternative tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and nicotine bags.
Several scientific studies have shown that alternative tobacco products can reduce the risk by 90 - 95 percent as compared to cigarettes.
"Interventions through products that apply the concept of hazard reduction are more effective than products, such as nicotine replacement therapy, in helping those who want to quit smoking," he stated.
Alternative tobacco products will be more effective in reducing the prevalence of smokers if the government provides easy access and expands the dissemination of accurate information to adult smokers. Thus, increasingly more number of adult smokers experiencing difficulties in quitting will switch to alternative tobacco products, thereby resulting in also bringing down cigarette sales.
"That is a key strategy for tackling this very complex problem. Products resulting from technological and innovative developments like this have enormous potential,” he stated.
Meanwhile, British oncology specialist Peter Harper explained that various diseases caused by cigarettes originate from cigarette smoke that is the result of the combustion process.
Harper noted that cigarette smoke contains about five thousand chemical compounds, of which about 80 are toxic, so they can trigger cancer.
"You smoke for the nicotine, but you die from the smoke," Harper emphasized.
Hence, Harper advises adult smokers to quit smoking. If they find it difficult to quit smoking immediately, then alternative tobacco products are an option because heated tobacco products or e-cigarettes apply a heating system and not burning as in cigarettes. With the implementation of this system, alternative tobacco products do not produce smoke and ash.
"An immediate stop is the best option. If current strategies do not work, innovative products can bring solutions to help those struggling to quit smoking while reducing their impact on health," Harper stated.
In line with this, the Psychiatric Specialist at the Friendship Center General Hospital (RSUPP) Tribowo Tuahta Ginting remarked that pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches are applied to help adult smokers to quit smoking.
Pharmacology is a smoking cessation method using medicinal approaches, such as nicotine replacement therapy, while non-pharmacology prioritizes psychotherapy.
"Various approaches have been applied to reduce the number of smokers and the dangers of smoking through counseling training. However, the trainings are still not going well, so many people need medicine to help them quit smoking,” he stated.
He remarked that Indonesians needed a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological healing methods. However, nicotine replacement therapy is not yet available in Indonesia, so psychotherapy can be offered at this time.
"(This is) so that alternative tobacco products are an option to switch from cigarettes and reduce their impact,” he explained.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Sri Haryati
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