At the Global Forum on Nicotine, Riccardo Polosa, professor at the University of Catania was awarded the prestigious " INNCO global award for outstanding advocacy He also took the time to answer questions from Sanita Informazione explaining that the fact eliminating combustion reduced the risk by 90%"
RISK REDUCTION TO SAVE LIVES
The fight against smoking is not only taxes and regulations, it is also and above all research into risk reduction. This research work is partly represented by the professor Riccardo Polosa who spoke with an Italian media after the Global Forum on Nicotine 2017 which took place in Warsaw, Poland.
As a doctor, can you explain to us what the epidemiological outlook is? Can we reduce the impact and damage of smoking?
« The outlook shows that it is possible. Today, it is possible to take full advantage of the availability of low-risk products that are emerging in the market. We can obviously cite all kinds of electronic cigarettes, from the first generation to the third much more innovative, but I am also talking about heated tobacco which is gaining ground today, particularly in Asian countries where it is a success.».
During the Global Forum on Nicotine, there were various conferences or were discussed the effects on health and the effects of toxic substances produced by conventional cigarettes compared to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco. Now is the scientific evidence for harm reduction very clearly established?
« Yes of course. Now the data that confirms the risk reduction is truly overwhelming. Rationally, it was clear to me that a system that does not produce combustion cannot represent a high risk, it is now proven by hundreds and hundreds of scientific publications that the e-cigarette places itself on a potential. 90-95% risk reduction "
There is another aspect to consider: Nicotine. What influence does it have on health risks?
“With these products without combustion, the potential risk of nicotine is of the order of 2%, it is clearly reduced. It would take a gigantic consumption to reach clinically relevant levels of toxicity. In addition, our body is so intelligent that it imposes defense mechanisms allowing us to have self-control, so it is very difficult to create an overdose condition " .
In one of the comparisons dealing with the different uses, i.e. switching from cigarettes to a harm reduction product, it was analyzed that the vaporizer tends to give up the harm reduction product. What is your assessment for this type of data?
“These data are very dynamic, I am very enthusiastic and happy to live this historic and so important moment in my scientific life, but the reality is that we have in front of us a phenomenon which is a real evolution. Today we have one product, tomorrow we will have another. Today we have statistics but tomorrow the percentage will be lower. In my opinion, all this depends essentially on the quality of the product and the degree of satisfaction it gives. Regarding the substitute product, the more pleasant and satisfactory the alternative to cigarettes, the greater the impact will be on dual use, because until now dual use is quite simply due to poor quality products on the market. But don't worry, innovation is here and I am convinced that in the next 5-10 years, this phenomenon of dual use will be relegated to the Stone Age ”.
