Everyone knows smoking is harmful. The warnings are everywhere. The advice is familiar: quit.
But what happens when knowing you should quit isn’t enough?
THR Global puts the people living through that struggle at the centre of the conversation — documenting the stories of South Africans who have tried to move away from combustible tobacco and explore different pathways towards tobacco harm reduction.
Research highlights the complexity of that journey. A 2021 study of 18,208 South African adults found that 74% of smokers reported wanting to quit, while separate research found that 32% of recent quitters reported using vaping as part of their journey away from smoking. Meanwhile, a 2024 review of smoking cessation interventions found that fewer than 5% of smokers who attempt to quit without assistance achieve long-term abstinence.
These findings raise a simple question:
If so many smokers want to change, are we listening closely enough to the people trying to do it?
Beyond “Just Quit”
For people who have smoked for years, cigarettes can become tied to stress, socialising, work, routine and identity. #WeAreTheEvidence explores what happens when we meet people where they are instead of simply telling them where they should be.
The campaign isn’t about encouraging non-smokers to start vaping, nor does it present vaping or other alternatives as risk-free.
It is about informing adults, who already smoke, about tobacco harm reduction options and documenting the experiences of people who have explored them.
THR Global is building a growing collection of testimonials from South Africa and around the world to create a broader record of tobacco harm reduction through the eyes of the people experiencing it.
Because behind every statistic is a person — and their story may help someone else understand that change doesn’t have to begin with pretending the journey is easy.
Watch the stories below:
