Safer Nicotine Alternatives Can Save Caribbean Lives – New Report

News Americas, PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, September 18, 2025: International health experts are today urging Caribbean policymakers to embrace safer nicotine alternatives as a major new report reveals their life-saving potential worldwide.

The landmark study, The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, shows that smoke-free alternatives such as vapes and nicotine pouches are cutting smoking rates dramatically and producing measurable improvements in public health: fewer deaths, fewer cases of chronic disease and fewer years lost to disability.

Dr. Delon Human, a co-author of the report and leader of Smoke Free Sweden, said: “This ground-breaking research represents a substantial public health opportunity for the Caribbean, where more than one in five adults still smokes.

“By integrating safer nicotine alternatives like vapes and oral pouches into tobacco control strategies, Caribbean policymakers could prevent thousands of premature deaths, with their citizens as the eventual beneficiaries.”

The report, which comes ahead of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) conference (COP11) in Geneva in November, reveals:

Sweden has cut smoking to just 5.3%, the lowest in Europe, by making snus and nicotine pouches widely accessible. Swedish men now have 61% lower lung cancer rates than the EU average, and overall cancer deaths are a third lower. Without snus, smoking-related male mortality would have been 70% higher.

Japan has halved its cigarette sales since the introduction of heated tobacco products a decade ago. Smoking prevalence dropped from 21% to 16%, and health modelling suggests switching just half of smokers to heated tobacco could prevent 12 million cases of smoking-related disease.

The UK has integrated vaping into NHS quit-smoking services, with smoking rates falling from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% today. Real-world data already show declines in cardiovascular deaths, cancer mortality, COPD cases and smoking-related hospital admissions.

New Zealand halved its smoking rate in just six years after legalising and promoting vaping and heated tobacco, while vaping prevalence rose more than fourfold. Almost 80% of daily vapers are ex-smokers. COPD hospitalizations have fallen nearly 30% and smoking-related cardiovascular deaths are down 20%.

“These figures make one thing clear: safer nicotine alternatives are saving lives today,” said Dr. Human.

“COP11 is a moment of truth. If Parties adopt harm reduction within the framework of the FCTC, millions of lives could be saved worldwide. This report should be essential reading for every policymaker in Geneva.”