Tobacco Harm Reduction in Southeast Asia-Challenges and Opportunities

Many Southeast Asian countries continue to struggle with the epidemic of smoking. While evidence for tobacco harm reduction (THR) interventions are compelling, they have not been effectively and widely adopted by the countries in the region for a variety of reasons. At the policy level, some countries have banned THR products outright while others have implemented a range of policies often lacking in consistency and rationale, while the use of these products continues to rise in many countries. Complex economic, political and ideological factors come into play in the policy responses but opportunities are on the horizon to mitigate the largely negative attitude towards THR in the region.