Why Restricting Nicotine Alternatives Could Do More Harm Than Good

Dr. Marina Murphy is one of the authors of the paper “Why We Need Greater, Not Less, Access to Reduced-Risk Nicotine Products”, published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science. Haypp have met with her to get a better understanding of her message to smokers and policymakers.

image of a shopping trolley next to a computer keyboard, indicating importance of online access to nicotine products

Key Takeaways

Dr. Murphy argues that we need better access to reduced-risk nicotine products.
Harm reduction policies must reflect real-world behaviour, not idealised assumptions.
Banning online sales risks pushing users to unsafe and unregulated alternatives.
Australia's prescription-only e-cigarette policy increased smoking.
Policymakers must embrace pragmatic approaches to help smokers.

What the motivation for writing this editorial?

"Our motivation was simple: too often policy is made with idealised assumptions that ignore how real people behave.

We have seen several cases where reducing or shutting off access to lower-risk products has resulted in people reverting to cigarettes — the status quo. We wanted to make the case that harm reduction requires more choices and more support, not fewer options."

You criticise proposed online sales bans — what harm do you see them causing?

"The greatest risk is that bans will push consumers into illicit or unregulated channels, where safety, quality, and age control are far weaker or just non-existent.

Bans also disproportionately hurt people in rural or remote areas, or those with mobility or access constraints, for whom online purchasing is essential."

How do you propose regulators protect youth while preserving adult access?

"I strongly advocate for innovation in compliance — better digital age verification, identity checks, fraud detection, and enforcement of existing laws.

We should also invest in education, retailer licensing, and penalties for illegal sales. The goal should be to secure the online channel, not shut it down."

Have you seen any examples where heavy regulation has backfired?

"Yes — in Australia, restricting e-cigarettes to prescription-only status has reportedly slowed progress in reducing combustible smoking and elevated black-market sales.

That experience underlines how restrictive approaches can undermine, rather than accelerate, public health gains."

What is your overarching message to smokers and policymakers?

"To smokers: safer alternatives deserve consideration, and policy should not erect needless barriers. To policymakers: embrace a nuanced, pragmatic harm-reduction strategy — regulate smartly, not restrict blindly.

Adult consumers deserve access to better options, especially if we hope to reduce smoking’s health toll."

Read Dr. Murphy's article “Why We Need Greater, Not Less, Access to Reduced-Risk Nicotine Products” here.