scohre

SCOHRE

IS AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON SMOKING CONTROL & HARM REDUCTION

Eight million people die prematurely every year from smoking-related diseases despite all efforts to control the smoking habit. We know the harmful health effects of smoking for decades, but still more than 1 billion people globally smoke, and the total number of smokers is still growing. In the EU alone, tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer mortality, with 27% of all cancer deaths linked to smoking. If we eliminate the use of smoking, we may even be able to avoid as much as 90% of all lung cancers.

Is smoking cessation the only way? It is surely the absolute best way, if, and when it works. However, there is an ongoing discussion that limiting the negative effects of smoking can be also achieved by the use of less harmful alternatives than cigarettes i.e. Tobacco Harm Reduction, for those smokers who are not willing or cannot give up smoking with currently approved methods. Where cessation repeatedly fails, switching to less harmful products is expected to result in benefits for many smokers. Nicotine has an addictive potential but plays a minor role in smoking related mortality.

This is how SCOHRE has been born; AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON SMOKING CONTROL & HARM REDUCTION

OUR MISSION

The SCOHRE mission is to reshape smoking control strategies to include harm reduction using alternative, lower risk, products, in addition to the traditional smoking cessation and smoking prevention measures, for better health for all.

OUR VISION

A smoke-free world and better health for all. Smoking cessation and prevention remain the most impactful and cost-effective interventions in medicine and we will continue the hard work to raise awareness to every smoker and the public about the adverse effects of smoking. However, where cessation repeatedly fails, switching to less harmful products expected to result in benefits for many smokers should be an option.

OUR AMBITION

To work for better health for all and for the benefit of smokers and their families. To establish a constructive dialogue to discuss concerns and challenges. To step up the efforts and benefit from the already existing solid expertise from harm reduction policies in many countries.

SCOHRE AIMS TO

1. Raise awareness on existing knowledge, generate more data and create more opportunities for education of health policy experts, regulators and general public since the tobacco harm reduction debate is still at an early stage and more research and publications are needed

2. Appropriately address the concerns such as continuous use of, and dependence on, nicotine as well as the potential adoption of use by never smokers and youth.

3. Drive an open and constructive dialogue to help come up with a new broader approach to smoking control policies.

4. Drive research on novel products

FOCUS ON

• Scientific evidence, including sharing and publicizing the latest scientific data, identifying research gaps, independent verification of the industry data.
• Behavioural aspects
  • focus on smokers
  • what are the needs of those who want to quit smoking, as well as how to effectively help those who are not willing to quit.
• Policy recommendations
• Establishing a dialogue with policy experts and regulators at international, EU and national level.

WHO WE ARE

An International Association of independent experts on Smoking Control & Harm Reduction including scientists from all sectors, medical doctors, policy experts, behavioral experts, academics, and professionals.