By Moshood Abeeb

One journey changed how I see tobacco forever. Travelling from Oyo to Kano, I found myself in a commercial vehicle driven by a heavy smoker. The experience was not just uncomfortable; it was distressing. The suffocating odour of tobacco triggered nausea and an unexpected bout of diarrhoea. The delay was costly, especially given the insecurity on that route. But the worst part wasn’t the physical discomfort but the fear. I watched the driver’s erratic behaviour closely, worried he might do something dangerous. It felt like sitting inside a ticking time bomb. That day, I witnessed firsthand how smoking endangers not only the smoker but everyone around them. For the first time, the reality of secondhand smoke hit me, not from a textbook, but from lived experience. 

We often discuss the health implications of smoking, such as respiratory disease, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and premature death. But rarely do we talk about how smoking also puts innocent people, passengers, family members, and co-workers at real risk. We hardly mention the mental discomfort, emotional fear, and social disruption that come with being trapped in close quarters with someone addicted to burning tobacco.

Globally, tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including an estimated 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. It also costs the global economy about 2% of its GDP, nearly $2 trillion annually. These are not abstract numbers. They represent real lives, real loss, and widespread harm. 

The truth is, tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 harmful chemicals. Over 300 of them are carcinogens. And with every puff, the smoker and everyone nearby are exposed to this toxic cocktail, all in the pursuit of nicotine. But there’s a better way.

Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) offers practical tools to reduce the damage caused by smoking. Products like nicotine patches, gums, and lozenges, collectively known as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), allow smokers to manage cravings without inhaling toxic smoke. These products are non-intoxicating and medically approved. In many religious circles, smoking is either outright forbidden or strongly discouraged. Yet, nicotine products used for therapeutic purposes are generally permitted and even recommended for smokers. This distinction is often misunderstood, fueling stigma around safer alternatives.

Harm reduction is not a foreign concept. We accept it in many areas of life: seat belts in cars, condoms for sexual health, and methadone for opioid addiction. THR follows the same principle, reducing harm when total abstinence is not immediately possible. With over 15,000 tobacco-related deaths recorded annually in Nigeria, THR is not just an option. It is a necessity. We must move beyond blame and judgement and focus on giving people realistic pathways to quit. By making safer nicotine products available and educating the public, especially in underserved communities, we can offer a lifeline to those who want to stop but can’t do it overnight.

That journey from Oyo to Kano may have ended in physical discomfort for me. But for many others, such exposure leads to far worse: chronic illness, disability, or death. Tobacco harm reduction is our chance to turn that story around, not just for smokers, but for everyone forced to share in their smoke.


Moshood Abeeb is a pharmacy student at Bayero University, Kano, interested in public health research, data analysis, and tobacco harm reduction. He is passionate about improving healthcare access in underserved communities.