Independent UK body asks for input on substance use

[rolygate]

In the UK, a non-political organisation, the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, is asking for contributions to a government review of drugs policy.

In the past, non-political moves to change legislation or health got nowhere because of embedded political or financial opposition. However, there seems more willingness to look at science-based evidence now. Factors helping this include for example the fact that traffic collision numbers have fallen in places where medical MJ was legalised (thought to be due to a reduction in alcohol use), and the inaccurate propaganda and complete lack of any science or facts published by groups who want to restrict consumers even further (such as the outright lies produced by the BMA in an attempt to have smoking in cars banned in the UK). The ISCD now seems to be trying to make some progress.

Their tobacco page is interesting as it is titled: 'tobacco: Harm Reduction Advice' but contains no Harm Reduction advice whatsoever. This is something we have come to expect from establishment medical sources as their general knowledge in this area is limited at best.

We should probably encourage knowledgeable sources to point out their omissions to them.

Contribute to a government review of drugs policy - Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs
Tobacco: Harm Reduction Advice - Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs

 

[kristin]

Their tobacco page is interesting as it is titled: 'Tobacco: Harm Reduction Advice' but contains no Harm Reduction advice whatsoever. This is something we have come to expect from establishment medical sources as their general knowledge in this area is limited at best.

Of course they did. They gave their official harm reduction advice: "Stop being a wuss and JUST QUIT."

 

[Vocalek]

Thanks for posting this Roly. I sent them an email.

Your page on Tobacco Harm Reduction Advice contains no advice for reducing the harm caused by smoking. Also, in the section on Effects, you failed to mention one very important effect on the mind that keep people smoking:

Nicotine improves the ability to concentrate and pay attention. Thus the smoking rates are considerably higher among those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. There is copious published research showing that the effects on concentration and attention can be observed not only on nicotine users, but also on animals and on non-users of tobacco. I’ll leave it to you to track these resources down. Here’s a start: nicotine AND attention - PubMed - NCBI

Nicotine has also been shown to have an absolute effect (i.e. seen in animals and non-users of tobacco) on improving mood. Again, the research is copious on this topic. Here’s a start: nicotine AND tobacco AND depression - PubMed - NCBI

A landmark work in this area is the 2007 report Harm Reduction in Nicotine Addiction: Helping People Who Can’t Quit by the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians. http://www.tobaccoprogram.org/pdf/4fc74817-64c5-4105-951e-38239b09c5db.pdf

The RCP made the following important points:
• Changes in brain structure impair ability to achieve and maintain abstinence
• Some smokers may never be able to quit all nicotine use.
• Half of these will die of smoking-related disease
• Alternative nicotine products could provide a safer long-term substitute for cigarette smoking.

Tobacco Harm Reduction is based on helping people who can’t stop using nicotine to switch to sources of nicotine that reduce the risks of smoking-related diseases. Such products include not only pharmaceutical nicotine products (used as a permanent substitute) but also low-nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products such as snus and dissolvable orbs, strips, and sticks, as well as vaporized nicotine from an electronic cigarette, cigar, or pipe. A recent work on this subject is
Rodu B. The scientific foundation for tobacco harm reduction, 2006-2011. Harm Reduction Journal 2011, 8:19.
HRJ | Full text | The Scientific Foundation for Tobacco Harm Reduction, 2006-2011

The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association commends the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs for looking for scientific evidence in an area that is too often controlled by politics and special interests.

 

[rolygate]

Here is what I sent:

-------------------------
Hi,

Thank you for your work toward non-political resolution of drug issues.

In connection with consumer substances, I would like to draw your attention to a page on your website titled, 'Tobacco: Harm Reduction Advice', but which contains no Harm Reduction advice, nor indeed content. Harm Reduction specifically refers to continued consumption of the substance using an alternative product with a reduced risk profile; however, the page in question only talks about cessation.

Perhaps this is an omission due to the relatively new state of the website? Many of your audience will hope this is true, in order that you may escape the accusation of simply recycling established NHS policy, which has been responsible for such an epic failure at massive cost.

You will perhaps be aware of these facts:
1. Sweden reduced their smoking prevalence by about 40%, and their smoking-related mortality by about 40%, by the successful promotion of a Harm Reduction consumer purchase (Snus). There are now more Snus users than smokers, which explains why Sweden has the lowest smoking-related mortality in the developed world by a wide margin.

2. E-Cigarettes are proving even more popular than Snus, with a phenomenal growth rate in uptake. The averaged growth rate per year is 500% in the UK to the latest figures in 2010: introduced in early 2006, estimated users 20; in 2010 estimated users were 200,000. In fact ASH UK carried out a survey in 2010 that reported 310,000 users but my organisation, ECCA UK, takes a more conservative view.

Electronic cigarette users at 2011 therefore account for 4% currently of smokers if considered as part of the smoking population. If not, the number of smokers has been reduced by 4%. By 2013 this figure is expected by conservative estimates to be 6%.

You will perhaps note that this figure is so far in excess of the reduction achieved by the NHS that there is hardly any comparison. We estimate that the NHS's SSS reduces smoker numbers by approximately 0.1% per year, since the bulk of the 0.4% annual reduction is thought by experienced commentators to be due to high taxes and advertising blackouts.

The NHS reduces the smoking population annually by about 0.1% at a cost of around £200m for the whole of the UK (but the figure has never been published); the electronic cigarette community help to reduce it by c. 1% annually at zero cost.

E-cigarettes are already responsible for a soon-to-be-visible start of a reduction in smoking-related deaths.


Please view this web page, published on behalf of the UK's largest Tobacco Harm Reduction usergroup:
Tobacco Harm Reduction UK


Your website has attracted the attention of THR followers internationally, one reaction is here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...pendent-uk-body-asks-input-substance-use.html


[signed]
Secretary
ECCA UK
ECCA UK - E-Cigarette Consumer Association of the UK
info[AT]eccauk[DOT]org