|
POLICY TO REDUCE ADDICTION TO
SMOKING
Aim: Assist smokers, and protect young
people, by making cigarettes less addictive
Problem:
1) Smoking kills and nicotine addicts the smoker - to keep inhaling
smoke toxicants.
Most smokers know they ought to quit for health reasons. Tobacco
addiction varies from mild to fierce. A less fierce addiction could make
it easier for many adolescents to quit smoking before becoming regular
smokers, and make it easier for many older smokers to quit.
The nicotine content of cigarettes is excessive and can be reduced by
the manufacturer if the law requires it.
2) Addiction to smokeless tobacco can be just as addictive, but no
smoke is inhaled and the risks of using smokeless are about 20 times less
than the risk of smoking cigarettes.
3) Addiction to nicotine - as occurs with about 6% of nicotine gum
chewers - does not kill the chewer.
See www.smokeless.org.nz/lowernic.htm and www.smokeless.org.nz/nicfadeout.htm
For Health New Zealand research and
publications on this topic see www.healthnz.co.nz/lessnicpubs.htm
|
