Abstract

‘Endgame’ is a term from chess, a complex game with a simple objective: to checkmate the king. Tobacco control is not so simple. We do not have one uniform agreed objective but a multiplicity of goals some of which may be incompatible. We are not playing a global game of chess, but a multiplicity of battles and skirmishes played out with different rules and on different terrains. This paper examines these issues and goes on to summarise the situation in England and what the endgame will mean in our circumstances. In particular, it sets out how harm reduction, as defined by ensuring access to alternative clean nicotine products, has become an integral part of our endgame, while acknowledging that this may not be feasible or relevant for all parts of the world.