Consumer group urges greater public awareness on smoke-free alternatives to help smokers quit

A consumer advocacy group is calling for increased public awareness about smoke-free products, warning that misinformation is preventing smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives.

Anton Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP)

Anton Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), highlighted the importance of providing accurate information about smoke-free alternatives such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches to help smokers quit. He cited a recent British study indicating that people who smoke are more likely to quit smoking and switch to vaping when they understand that smoke-free products are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

“Because of misinformation, consumers are deprived of choices available to them, including the switch to smoke-free alternatives that are scientifically proven to be far less harmful than cigarettes,” Israel said.

Extensive research confirms that the primary cause of smoking-related diseases is the combustion of tobacco, which releases thousands of toxic chemicals. In contrast, smoke-free nicotine products like vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches eliminate combustion, thereby dramatically reducing exposure to harmful substances.

A study conducted by researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and published last February 2025 in Oxford Academic found that smokers who recognized vaping as less harmful than smoking were more likely to make the switch six years later. The research, supported by the U.K. Medical Research Council, Wellcome, the University of Bristol, Cancer Research U.K., and the Society for the Study of Addiction, highlights the urgent need to correct public misperceptions about vaping.

“The study highlights the need for interventions to improve the misperceptions about vaping that are currently observed among people who smoke,” said Dr. Jasmine Khouja, senior author and senior research associate.

“In recent years, we've seen a growing number of people believe that vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking. Our study shows that these beliefs could be stopping some people from switching to vaping as a less harmful alternative. It is important for people who smoke to understand that although vapes are not risk-free, switching to vaping could dramatically reduce their risk of developing smoking-related diseases,” said Khouja.

Co-author Professor Ann McNeill of King’s College London further reinforced the study’s key message. “Smoking is uniquely deadly and will kill one in two regular sustained smokers, yet most people who smoke do not know vaping is less harmful and can help them to stop smoking completely. Our study shows the importance of addressing vaping misperceptions among people who smoke.”

In England, 85% of smokers in 2024 either believed vaping was as harmful or more harmful than smoking or were uncertain about its relative risks—a stark increase from 59% a decade earlier. Researchers stress that correcting these misconceptions is crucial in encouraging smokers to transition to safer alternatives.

Lead author Dr. Katherine East, associate professor in public health at BSMS, said "misperceptions" of vaping deterred adults who smoke from switching to vaping. 

“There is a lot of misinformation circulating that vaping is as bad as smoking or even worse. While vaping is not without risks, the evidence is clear that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and can help people successfully quit smoking,” said East.

“Unfortunately, misperceptions of vaping harms continue to increase, and we have found in our study that this could deter young adults who smoke from switching to vaping. In England in 2024, 85% of adults who smoked incorrectly perceived that vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking or did not know the relative harms, an increase from 59% ten years before,” East said.

As governments worldwide prepare for the upcoming Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), local advocates like NCUP are urging policymakers to recognize the role of smoke-free alternatives in reducing smoking-related diseases and deaths. The FCTC is a global treaty for tobacco control negotiated under the auspice of the World Health Organization.

“The focus of global tobacco control should not be on banning or heavily restricting alternatives that could save lives,” Israel said. “Instead, we need policies that empower smokers with accurate information and access to less harmful choices.”