UK - NICE endorses harm reduction for only those that refuse to quit..

February 2, 2010 - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health.

The Citizens Council, a group which brings the views of the public to NICE’s decision-making, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the use of harm reduction as a way to reduce the dangers of smoking.

The 30 members of the Citizens Council met in October last year for three days to discuss the pros and cons of harm reduction. Whereas smoking cessation aims to help smokers quit smoking and break their reliance on nicotine completely, the idea of harm reduction involves reducing the harm associated with cigarettes for smokers who find it too hard to quit. This could include replacing cigarettes with a clean form of nicotine, or with cigarettes which intend to deliver lower levels of toxins.

Overall, the Citizens Council supported the use of harm reduction in smoking but the idea of considering harm reduction as a way to provide a less harmful alternative to smoking - while accepting that nicotine addiction continues - proved relatively unpopular.

Please note harm reduction products would be limited to those smokers who find it too hard to quit. This means they must limit the distribution of these products.

With all the flavors and ease of disguising the use of these harm reduction products the United Kingdom may reduce the number the smokers by one-half but double or triple the number of nicotine addicts by the end of the decade.

As pointed out by John Britton, MD, Chair of the Royal Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group, a proponent of the use of harm reduction therapy, "It's tobacco companies job to sell as much tobacco as possible, so they will be targeting non-smokers rather than current ones, that's the worry."

UK's Health Secretary Andy Burnham says about his proposals: 'I make no apology when it comes to protecting children and giving them the best start in life.' United Kingdom - halve the number of smokers by end of decade..

"Our Highest Priority Has To Be Keeping Children From Beginning To Use Tobacco Products" Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the USA.