The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction

The latest #GSTHR report finds that approximately 200 million people worldwide are estimated to use #safernicotineproducts – equivalent to up to a quarter of the global smoking population Read the full report for free: gsthr.org/sitrep2026/

One transition is accelerating. Another has stalled. A third is taking a different route altogether. #SouthKorea, #Ireland and #Estonia show that there is no single pathway away from smoking. The latest #GSTHR Briefing Paper examines what these three very different trajectories can tell us about access, consumer choice, policy and #tobaccoharmreduction. Explore the comparison: gsthr.org/resources/briefing…

People directly affected by tobacco and nicotine policy bring something that data alone cannot: lived experience. The #GSTHR Briefing Paper on consumer advocacy looks at why people who smoke and those who use safer nicotine products should have a meaningful voice in decisions about #tobaccoharmreduction. Because effective policy should understand the people it affects. Read more: gsthr.org/resources/briefing…

Want to explore the #GSTHR data from a different angle? The Chart Builder makes it possible to create customised visualisations and compare tobacco and nicotine data across countries, products and indicators. Turn the data into the chart you need: gsthr.org/chart-builder/

One country. One starting point. A much bigger global picture. The #GSTHR Database brings together data on smoking, safer nicotine products, regulations and availability across 200 countries and regions. Choose a country and explore how the tobacco and nicotine landscape compares: gsthr.org/countries/

Around the world, the shift away from combustible tobacco is already taking different forms. The #GSTHR 2026 Situation Report identifies 28 countries where rising use of safer nicotine products has coincided with falling smoking prevalence — offering a wider view of how #tobaccoharmreduction is developing globally. Explore the evidence, data and policy landscape: gsthr.org/resources/thr-repo…

Turning #tobaccoharmreduction knowledge into something that can be used on the ground. Fasheun Omolola, a #Nigerian scholar of the Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme (THRSP), has developed a practical resource for Community Health Workers, designed to support understanding and communication of key #THR principles. Explore the resource: zenodo.org/records/22812534

What happens when the chemical profile of e-liquids is compared directly with cigarette smoke? A Mexican study takes a closer look at the differences — and the findings are relevant to ongoing discussions around relative risk and #tobaccoharmreduction. Read more: doi.org/10.36105/psrua.2025v…

Not all nicotine products are made in the same way — and those differences matter for #tobaccoharmreduction. A #GSTHR video looks at the composition of #nicotinepouches, the function of their key ingredients, and why understanding the product itself is important when considering lower-risk alternatives to smoking. Find out more: youtube.com/watch?v=D-gcGvnp…

#Chad, a low-income African country, had a current smoking prevalence of 6.8% as of 2024. The country could further reduce this rate by leveraging SNPs, which are currently not subject to specific regulations. Read more on our website: gsthr.org/countries/profile/…

#Harmreduction starts with understanding what people actually use. In #Kyrgyzstan, nasvay is a long-established smokeless tobacco product. This #GSTHR video explores how it is traditionally made and why products like this matter when considering realistic approaches to reducing tobacco-related harm. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=vBA_4cw6…

Nicotine pouches are increasingly visible in discussions around #tobaccoharmreduction — but how much is understood about what they actually contain? Explore the key ingredients in this #GSTHR video: youtube.com/watch?v=D-gcGvnp…

Understanding traditional tobacco products is an important part of understanding #tobaccoharmreduction. This #GSTHR video looks at how #nasvay is traditionally made in #Kyrgyzstan, offering context on a smokeless tobacco product used in the region and its place within wider discussions about risk and #harmreduction. youtube.com/watch?v=vBA_4cw6…

Three countries. Three different paths away from smoking. A new #GSTHR Briefing Paper examines #SouthKorea, #Ireland and #Estonia — and what their different trajectories can tell us about #tobaccoharmreduction. What can we learn from these emerging transitions? gsthr.org/resources/briefing…

A closer look inside a #nicotinepouch. What are the main ingredients, why are they used, and how can they contribute to #tobaccoharmreduction? This #GSTHR video explains. youtube.com/watch?v=D-gcGvnp…

#Lebanon adopts and maintains a favourable regulatory stance regarding safer nicotine products (#SNPs), such as #ecigarettes / #vapingproducts, #snus, and #nicotinepouches. You can read more about #Lebanon here: gsthr.org/countries/profile/…

#Nicotinepouches contain more than just #nicotine. Fibres, flavourings, sweeteners and pH adjusters all have a role in how the product is made and used. A #GSTHR video takes a closer look at what’s inside. youtube.com/watch?v=D-gcGvnp…

What makes a transition away from cigarettes move forward, stall, or accelerate? The new #GSTHR Briefing Paper compares experiences in #SouthKorea, #Ireland and #Estonia, exploring the role of access, consumer preferences and policies around #safernicotineproducts. Read the Briefing Paper: gsthr.org/resources/briefing…

In #Sweden, #Norway, #Iceland, #NewZealand and the #UK, use of #safernicotineproducts has now surpassed #smoking. What’s behind this shift? The latest #GSTHR global report explores changing patterns of nicotine use, the evidence for #tobaccoharmreduction and the policies shaping these trends. Read the report here: gsthr.org/resources/thr-repo…

#Ireland is neither an established #THR success story nor does it provide evidence that #vaping has failed. It is a transition that has lost momentum. Substitution away from combustibles is notable. Future progress will depend on whether policy enables, rather than obstructs, that process. Read about the emergence of #THR in #Ireland, #SouthKorea and #Estonia in our new Briefing Paper. gsthr.org/resources/briefing…

What can #tobaccoharmreduction contribute to better outcomes for people living with HIV? After attending #AIDS2026 with Knowledge•Action•Change (K•A•C), Gina Reyes explores the importance of evidence, listening and #harmreduction in understanding the realities of people who smoke and live with HIV. Read more: thevapingtoday.com/vih-reduc…