CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
A vision for a feasible endstate for tobacco control: A recreational use scenario
1
Former Director (retired), Tobacco Products Regulatory Office, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2026;12(Supplement 1):A151
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND-AIM:
Recognizing that there is no single definition for what the ultimate endgame is, at least one major public health organization defines it as the end of commercial tobacco and nicotine use, apart from Medicine Authority-approved medications. However, contrary to endgame policies, there has been little discussion about what the end-state for tobacco control would look like. The public health community should benefit from exploring what the tobacco and nicotine environment should look like beyond the “less than 5% tobacco use prevalence” target.
METHODS:
We conducted a critical review of the feasibility of successfully achieving an end to commercial tobacco and nicotine use in a high-income country by 2040 and beyond.
RESULTS:
It is unlikely that an end to commercial tobacco and nicotine use could be achieved in the long term, if by “commercial” we also mean the illicit marketing of such products. We propose that an endgame scenario that is more likely to be achieved, would be based on the recreational use of these products, where only tobacco products that are minimally or non-addictive are sold and where only nicotine products that cause little to no harm are allowed. In this scenario, as tobacco products are no longer (or minimally) addictive, there is no need for nicotine-replacement therapies to be regulated as medications. Further, anti-contraband measures extend to control over the tobacco cultivars that are grown and marketed, as well as to control over critical components of tobacco and nicotine products.
CONCLUSIONS:
Critically looking at the feasibility of various ultimate endgames should help the public health community debate over what an endstate for tobacco control should look like. In turn, having a better idea of what a tobacco and nicotine environment could look like beyond the “less than 5% tobacco use prevalence” target, is expected to enrich the discussions around what endgame policies are better suited to take us there. Tobacco endgame, strategies and policies to permanently end the tobacco
Recognizing that there is no single definition for what the ultimate endgame is, at least one major public health organization defines it as the end of commercial tobacco and nicotine use, apart from Medicine Authority-approved medications. However, contrary to endgame policies, there has been little discussion about what the end-state for tobacco control would look like. The public health community should benefit from exploring what the tobacco and nicotine environment should look like beyond the “less than 5% tobacco use prevalence” target.
METHODS:
We conducted a critical review of the feasibility of successfully achieving an end to commercial tobacco and nicotine use in a high-income country by 2040 and beyond.
RESULTS:
It is unlikely that an end to commercial tobacco and nicotine use could be achieved in the long term, if by “commercial” we also mean the illicit marketing of such products. We propose that an endgame scenario that is more likely to be achieved, would be based on the recreational use of these products, where only tobacco products that are minimally or non-addictive are sold and where only nicotine products that cause little to no harm are allowed. In this scenario, as tobacco products are no longer (or minimally) addictive, there is no need for nicotine-replacement therapies to be regulated as medications. Further, anti-contraband measures extend to control over the tobacco cultivars that are grown and marketed, as well as to control over critical components of tobacco and nicotine products.
CONCLUSIONS:
Critically looking at the feasibility of various ultimate endgames should help the public health community debate over what an endstate for tobacco control should look like. In turn, having a better idea of what a tobacco and nicotine environment could look like beyond the “less than 5% tobacco use prevalence” target, is expected to enrich the discussions around what endgame policies are better suited to take us there. Tobacco endgame, strategies and policies to permanently end the tobacco
| eISSN: | 2459-3087 |
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