Technovation Tashkent 2026 Puts Tobacco Harm Reduction And Regulation Under The Spotlight

Tashkent 30 September 2026: At the inaugural Technovation Tashkent 2026 forum, policymakers, medical professionals, researchers and business leaders from Central Asia and beyond gathered to discuss tobacco regulation, scientific research and changing smoking patterns. The event, organized by Philip Morris International (PMI), highlighted the importance of evaluating new nicotine products and formulating tobacco policies based on scientific evidence.

Akram Aliyev, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, emphasized that innovation should be assessed not only by economic outcomes but also by its contribution to public health and national well-being. PMI's Marco Mariotti stressed the global challenge of reducing smoking and suggested that policies should consider alternatives for adult smokers rather than relying solely on tobacco control measures.

The discussion focused on Japan, where cigarette sales declined by more than 50% between 2011 and 2023, attributed to the growing availability of heated tobacco products. Dr. Tomoko Iida, PMI's Senior Director of Scientific Engagement, noted a drop in Japan's smoking prevalence from approximately 20% in 2014 to around 10% in 2023. However, the broader implications of these trends remain crucial for policymakers assessing the relationship between product availability, regulation and smoking behavior.

The forum also examined international regulatory frameworks. Sweden, with a 3.7% daily smoking rate in 2025, demonstrated how changing consumption patterns, such as the use of snus and nicotine pouches, may impact public health. Italy has maintained a separate regulatory and taxation category for heated tobacco products since 2016.

In the United States, the FDA issued product-specific authorizations for specific tobacco products, including snus, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, but emphasized that no tobacco product is entirely safe.

Medical professionals emphasized that smoking cessation should remain the primary public health objective. Dr. Boris Kasparov, an oncologist from Russia's N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Centre of Oncology, stressed the importance of distinguishing between nicotine dependence and exposure to harmful substances in tobacco smoke when communicating health risks to patients.

Dr. Saida Umarzoda, an oncologist from Tajik State Medical University, raised concerns about the unintended consequences of prohibition-based approaches, arguing that tobacco policy should be informed by scientific findings and consider the potential for illicit markets.

Uzbekistan's State Customs Committee reported a decline in the illicit share of the country's tobacco market to approximately 7%, with over three million illicit cigarette packs seized in the year. Dr. Meiram Raganin of Kazakhstan presented findings from a six-month study showing improvements in oral hygiene and reduced gum inflammation among smokers who switched to heated tobacco products compared to those who continued smoking. However, further research and independent assessment are crucial when evaluating health outcomes.

India's tobacco-use patterns were also discussed, with the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 estimating approximately 267 million tobacco users, including 99.5 million smokers. Iida suggested that Indian policymakers could examine international regulatory assessments and seek independent evaluations of emerging clinical research.