New review backs current Help Me Quit approach on smoking harm reduction 

Cyhoeddwyd ar: 08 Gor 2026

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in Wales. There is increasing interest in whether harm reduction pathways, like cutting down smoking before quitting, maybe more effective at reducing harms from smoking among people not yet ready to quit.  

A new Public Health Wales rapid review, conducted by the Evidence Service says developments of Help Me Quit to support people not ready to commit to quitting should follow existing guidance. 

The report looked for interventions to reduce exposure to tobacco smoking that doesn’t involve stopping smoking quickly. It found no sustained benefit from behavioural-only harm reduction approaches. However, when combined with varenicline, one high-quality showed better smoking reduction and verified quitting, but this is not enough to justify moving away from existing NICE based practice. 

Evidence for nicotine replacement therapy alongside behavioural support was limited and generally low quality. 

Overall, the report supports a flexible, evidence-based approach for people not ready to quit smoking abruptly, with licensed nicotine replacement products remaining the preferred harm reduction option.