Tag: Kazakhstan

  • THR Group Asks Kazakhstan to Reassess Policies

    THR Group Asks Kazakhstan to Reassess Policies

    Credit: Zero Photo

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today called on the government of Kazakhstan to reassess its stance on tobacco harm reduction (THR) products, citing compelling evidence from Japan demonstrating the significant health and economic benefits of embracing safer alternatives to smoking. 

    A recent study published in the journal Healthcare reveals that if 50 percent of smokers in Japan switched from combustible cigarettes to heated tobacco products (HTPs), it could prevent 12 million patient cases and save JPY 454 billion in healthcare costs. This data underscores the immense potential of THR strategies in countries with high smoking rates. 

    Nancy Loucas, the executive coordinator of CAPHRA, stated that the Japanese example clearly illustrates that HTPs can be an effective harm reduction tool in nations where smoking prevalence remains high, and other safer nicotine products are unavailable.

    “Kazakhstan, with its significant gender disparity in smoking rates and tobacco-related health issues, could greatly benefit from adopting a more progressive approach to THR. Kazakhstan’s current policies treat all nicotine products, including less harmful alternatives, the same as traditional cigarettes,” Loucas explains in an e-mailed release. “This approach, coupled with the recent ban on vapes and high taxes on smokeless alternatives, demonstrates a concerning lack of acceptance for harm reduction strategies. 

    “By ignoring the potential of THR products, Kazakhstan is missing a crucial opportunity to save lives,” Loucas added. “Our analysis suggests that embracing harm reduction policies could prevent 165,000 premature deaths in Kazakhstan over the next four decades.  

    The government must reconsider its stance for public health, stated Loucas.  CAPHRA urges Kazakh policymakers to: 

    1. Review and revise current regulations to differentiate between combustible cigarettes and less harmful alternatives. 
    2. Following Japan’s successful model, the introduction of HTPs should be considered as a harm reduction tool. 
    3. Engage with public health experts and THR advocates to develop evidence-based policies. 
    4. Implement a tiered taxation system encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful products. 

    “The time for Kazakhstan to act is now,” Loucas stated. “By embracing tobacco harm reduction, the country can significantly improve public health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and potentially narrow the life expectancy gap between men and women. We stand ready to support Kazakhstan in developing and implementing effective THR policies.” 

  • Kazakhstan President Signs Bill Banning Vaping

    Kazakhstan President Signs Bill Banning Vaping

    Credit: Zero Photo

    Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a bill on April 19 that bans the sale and distribution of vaping products, according to the Akorda press service.

    “The law establishes a ban on the sale and distribution of non-smoking tobacco products, vapes, flavors and liquids for them, as well as their advertising,” according to the Akorda.

    Punishment for sale and distribution ranges from fines to arrest. The law will come into force 60 days after publication, according to media reports.

    Astana Akimat (administration) and Kazakh athletes launched a campaign to encourage residents to exchange electronic cigarettes for sports equipment.

    “We want to teach young people through this campaign the importance of engaging in sports and maintaining good health. Together we want to guide them on the right path. We hope that our campaign will motivate many people,” said Kyokushinkan karate athlete Alikhan Asubayev.

    Vaping products collected during the campaign will be disposed of at a specialized plant.

  • Health Expert Condemns Kazakhstan’s Vape Ban

    Health Expert Condemns Kazakhstan’s Vape Ban

    Delon Human (Photo: Taco Tuinstra)

    Leading international public health experts have expressed serious concern about Kazakhstan’s imminent ban on vapes as a “backward step” that contradicts the unprecedented success of more progressive countries that are dramatically reducing tobacco’s toll through the use of alternative nicotine products.

    The Kazakh government’s intention to enact the prohibition by Jan. 1, 2024, endangers the lives of the country’s 3.2 million smokers who will be deprived of their best chance to quit their deadly habit, according to the Smoke Free Sweden, a movement highlighting Sweden’s progress in becoming smoke-free.

    “We note with great concern this retrogressive move by the Kazakhstan Ministry of Health, which defies the extraordinary achievements of some countries that have adopted a progressive approach to modern products such as vapes and oral pouches,” said Delon Human, a global health advocate and founder of Smoke Free Sweden, in a statement.

    “Around the world, alternative nicotine products are helping to save millions of lives by giving smokers an escape from combustible cigarettes. They are proven to be at least 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes and the most effective way for smokers to quit.

    “To ban these reduced-risk products will simply condemn many smokers to stick with cigarettes and sentence them to an unnecessarily premature death.”

    Human urged Kazakh authorities to emulate the approach of Sweden, which is on course to drop below a 5 percent tobacco smoking prevalence in the next few months. This is the level at which a country is considered officially smoke-free.

    Sweden is the first EU country to achieve this milestone—17 years ahead of schedule—through its policy of making vapes and pouches available, acceptable and affordable to adult smokers.

    “Quitting smoking like Sweden saves lives,” says Human. “Compared to the rest of Europe, Sweden has 44 percent fewer tobacco-related deaths, a cancer rate that is 41 percent lower, and 38 percent fewer deaths attributable to any cancer.

    “Sweden is leading the way for other nations, such as the United Kingdom where the health service is giving free vape kits to smokers to help them quit. The government is funding the ‘swap to stop’ scheme with the aim of turning the country smoke-free by 2030.

    “Meanwhile, only last month, the largest study of its kind in the United States confirmed the immense value of vapes as cessation aids. Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center in South Carolina found that vapes nudged people towards quitting smoking – even those who had entered their trial saying they had no intention of quitting.

    “Such evidence is compelling and should be ignored no longer. If Kazakh authorities are serious about saving lives, they should be following the science and offering affordable access to vapes, instead of blocking this proven ‘fire escape’ for smokers,” concluded Human.

  • Kazakhstan Readies to Enact Ban on Vape Products

    Kazakhstan Readies to Enact Ban on Vape Products

    Photo: natatravel

    Lawmakers in Kazakhstan voted on July 29 to ban the sale, import, export and production of e-cigarettes and liquids, reports Atlas News.

    “The harm of vapes is undeniable,” said Deputy Nurgul Tau. “That is why the Ministry of Health has been sharply raising the issue of introducing a ban on the circulation of vapes since 2021. In my request, I proposed a complete ban on the sale of vapes.”

    The legislation has been in the works since May 10 following a ban of the use of e-cigarettes in public spaces. The ban was triggered by concern about increased vaping among minors.