THR Global
Opinions & Editorial
Perspectives from around the world on tobacco harm reduction, public health, policy, science, and lived experience.
Explore Community Perspectives →FeaturedTHR Global OriginalConsumer Perspectives
3 July 2026
Public debate is strongest when scientific evidence, professional expertise and lived experience are considered together. Discover why consumer voices matter, how ordinary people have shaped policy throughout history, and why their absence can lead to unintended consequences—especially in tobacco harm reduction.
Kurt Yeo • Consumer Perspectives • Global
Latest Articles
Commentary, analysis, and perspectives from the THR community.
THR Global OriginalScience & Evidence
17 June 2026
The headline is alarming. The reality is more complicated. While youth vaping deserves attention, the evidence behind claims of a “new generation of nicotine addicts” is far less certain than readers are led to believe. Missing data, selective sampling and South Africa’s broader public health realities paint a very different picture.
Kurt Yeo • Science & Evidence • Africa • South Africa
THR Global OriginalPolicy & Regulation
1 June 2026
South Africa's tobacco control policies are built on a simple assumption: make smoking more expensive, more restricted and less socially acceptable, and people will quit.
Reality tells a different story.
Kurt Yeo • Policy & Regulation • Africa • South Africa
THR Global OriginalPolicy & Regulation
1 June 2026
This article argues that harm reduction cannot reach its full potential while health systems remain intertwined with punitive drug control frameworks. It explores how criminalisation creates invisible barriers to care, discourages service utilisation, fragments continuity of care, and embeds stigma into health system operations. Ultimately, it contends that the future of harm reduction depends not only on expanding services, but on creating healthcare environments that can operate independently of enforcement logic and prioritise health outcomes over punishment.
Melody Okereke • Policy & Regulation • Gobal • Nigeria
THR Global OriginalPublic Health Debate
31 May 2026
The smoker is not the enemy. The smoker is the person we are trying to help.
Kurt Yeo • Public Health Debate • Global • South Africa
THR Global OriginalPublic Health Debate
17 March 2026
As we decouple nicotine from the lethal toxicity of smoke, are we finally entering an era where the world’s leading cause of preventable death can be engineered out of existence? The history of the last sixty years suggests that through technology and pragmatic policy, a smoke-free world is finally within our sight.
Kurt Yeo • Public Health Debate • Global • 10 min read
THR Global OriginalPublic Health Debate
19 August 2026
A person who fears being labelled may choose not to test. Someone who worries about disclosure may delay treatment. A community that feels judged may avoid healthcare programmes altogether. These challenges are not simply individual problems. They reflect the need for health systems to become more responsive and inclusive.
Melody Okereke • Public Health Debate • Africa • Nigeria
THR Global OriginalPublic Health Debate
29 May 2026
The future of harm reduction will depend on how well grassroots innovation is recognised, funded, and integrated into formal health systems.
Melody Okereke • Public Health Debate • Africa • Nigeria
