Prevention+and+Harm+Reduction+Strategies


 * Prevention & Harm Reduction**

In Canada all three levels of government have the ability to help prevent smoking. Creating of laws banning smoking in certain locations, helping to prevent second-hand smoke as well as making sales of cigarettes illegal to anyone under the age of eighteen. The Federal government is able to create laws banning smoking on any federal property (The Lung Association, 2012). The provincial, municipal and regional governments also have that authority to ban or restrict smoking in certain areas within their geographical limits (The Lung Association, 2012).
 * Policies**

The Media plays an important role about releasing information about smoking to people of all ages. Media campaigns can be used to promote smoking prevention, and show the harmful effects of smoking. Below are some of the campaigns the media has used to help smoking prevention initiatives.
 * Media**

The Quit the denial campaign was made by the Ontario Ministry of Health and is a comedic set of ads about social smoking. It is show the relation between social smoking and becoming addicted to cigarettes (CBC, 2013). media type="custom" key="24445860"
 * Quit the Denial Campaign**


 * Harm Reduction**

It is estimated that 50 percent of smoker’s will never quit and those who do quit, it may take a long period of time to quit as relapse is very high (Abrams, 2003). Harm reduction in smoking is the attempt to reduce the adverse health effects of tobacco use (Britton, 2004). Harm reduction techniques include: cutting down, low tar cigarettes, switching to cigars or pipes, alternative cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and switching to pharmaceutical nicotine products.


 * Low tar cigarettes**

The ratio between tars to nicotine produced in tobacco smoke in low tar cigarettes is very similar to the ratio in conventional cigarettes. Low tar in the cigarettes results from ventilation roles that are put into the filter in the cigarette. In low tar cigarettes there is a low nicotine level. When an individual smokes a low tar cigarette, they tend to compensate for the reduction in nicotine by altering their smoking patters (higher frequency and deeper puffs) (Britton, 2004).


 * Switching to cigars or pipes**

The risk associated with smoking a cigar or a pipe compared to a cigarette smoker is much lower. The reduction in risk is due to the fact that individuals who smoke cigars or pipes smoke differently; cigar and pipe smokers tend not to inhale the smoke, but rely on the nicotine to absorb from the buccal mucosa. Unfortunately, when a cigarette smoker changes to a cigar or pipe, they tend to continue to inhale the smoke and therefore there are little health benefits (Britton, 2004).


 * Alternative Cigarettes**

These are products that heat instead of burn tobacco, giving off a vapor. Some alternative cigarettes have been found to have less tar when compared to conventional cigarettes, though they have more carbon monoxide. Due to the increase in carbon monoxide, harm reduction is likely limited (Britton, 2004).


 * Switching to Smokeless Tobacco**

The two main forms of smokes tobacco include snuff and chew. Smokeless tobacco is a major cause of oral cancer. Regardless of this fact, when the health risks of smokeless tobacco are compared to cigarettes, they are considerably less harmful (Britton, 2004).


 * Switching to Pharmaceutical Nicotine Products**

Switching to pharmaceutical nicotine products includes: gum, a patch, nasal spray, inhalers and lozenges. Though most smokers do not find the use of nicotine replace therapy to be as satisfying as smoking a cigarette, the risks associated with nicotine replacement therapy are much lower (Britton, 2004).