The first of its kind seminar aims at initiating a wide debate on how to address the problem of smoking harm reduction. The goal is to find ways to help smokers to reduce harm in a broader sense. Current best knowledge, all available research, and all scientific methods should be applied in order to help reduce the effects of smoking. It requires wide cooperation as the ultimate goal is to save as many lives as possible.
In order to ensure the most complementary approach to the issue of reducing the effects of smoking, the seminar was attended, apart from the representatives of the Catholic Church, by guests from the medical world, scientists dealing with smoking addiction, and lawmakers of the European Parliament. The attendees represented the international community of Italy, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and Poland and talked about smoking harm reduction challenges. Pope Francis also addressed the seminar participants via a dedicated letter.
Among the speakers were:
- Em. Card. Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- Rev. Mons. Charles Namugera, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- H.E. Mons. Ariel Edgardo Torrado Mosconi, Bishop of Nueve de Julio
- H.E. Mons. Grzegorz Ryś,Archbishop of Lodz, Poland
- Prof. Alejandro Videla, Austral University Hospital, Buenos Aires
- H.E. Mons. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Permanent Observer of Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva
- Prof. Szczepan Cofta, Clinical Hospital of Poznan University of Medical Science
- Rev. Prof. Robert Nęcek, Pontifical University of John Paul II, Cracow
- Prof. Paul Aveyard, University of Oxford
- MD Bartosz Arłukowicz, Chief of the Beating Cancer Commission in the EuropeanParliament
Smoking tobacco is both a physical addiction and a psychological habit, which affects every human being, regardless of geographic location. The representatives of the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that taking care of health is a moral duty of every human being. This belief is one of the foundations of all the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church, therefore every person with their weaknesses, including the victim of smoking addiction, is at the centre of the Church’s mercy.
The voice of the Catholic Church on social issues is heard globally. It was heard during the COVID-19 pandemic, which took the lives of more than 6 million people, and it was also heard during the climate crisis. Therefore, the Catholic Church representatives strongly believes, that now it is time to focus on people who are addicted and whose addiction is a serious risk to their life of theirs and their close ones. This position of the Church representatives is in line with the report of the European Parliament on Cancer prevention and Treatment ratified earlier this year, which recognised the reduction of harm caused by smoking as an appropriate public health protection policy. The voice of the Catholic Church representatives is contributing to strengthening the ability of the entire world to respond to the global challenges of smoking harm reduction.
