[Risk reduction strategies in smoking].
BACKGROUND
Around the world, due to its high efficiency in delivering nicotine, cigarette is, by far, the first device used to consume tobacco. But, as far as health is concerned, cigarette is the worst nicotine delivery system and cleaner delivery systems would be welcome. In respect to tobacco smoking, up to now, most doctors have supported the "quit smoking or die" dogma. However, some smokers cannot or do not want to completely give up the consumption of nicotine.


BACKGROUND
Indeed, while some smokers can stop smoking and, for some of them, simply switch to a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), other smokers crave the acute effects associated with the rapid massive surge of nicotine delivered to the brain by tobacco smoke. Currently, this rapid nicotine "high" is mainly experienced by smoking cigarettes, thus explaining the high rate of smoking relapse.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, for smokers who cannot totally give up nicotine, it is sound to evaluate the rationale for the use of tobacco products with possible lower toxicity than cigarette smoke.


CONCLUSIONS
Unfortunately, this important question triggers off passionate statements, while scientific and experimental observations are still very tenuous. Furthermore, the tobacco companies, by producing new tobacco products and promoting the use of smokeless tobacco such as snus, put a constant pressure on the Public Health community.
Martinet
Y
Y
Unité de Coordination de Tabacologie, CHU de Nancy, France. y.martinet@chu-nancy.fr
Bohadana
A
A
Wirth
N
N
Spinosa
A
A
Béguinot
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000009:adverse effects
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D012906:Smoke; D009538:Nicotine