Leading international public health experts have expressed serious concerns about the upcoming ban on e-cigarettes in Kazakhstan, calling it a "setback", which contradicts the unprecedented success achieved by more progressive countries in significantly reducing the number of deaths caused by tobacco through the use of alternative nicotine products.


The 'smokeless Sweden' movement, which highlights Sweden's progress, has stated that the Kazakh government intends to enact this ban before January 1, 2024, which will endanger the lives of 3.2 million smokers in the country and deprive them of the best opportunity to quit deadly habits. Become a smokeless person.


Global health advocate Delon Human said, "We are very concerned to note this retrogressive initiative by the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, which contradicts the remarkable achievements of some countries in adopting progressive methods in modern products such as e-cigarettes and oral bags." The founder of smokeless Sweden stated in a statement.


Around the world, alternative nicotine products have helped smokers break free from the shackles of combustible cigarettes, saving millions of lives. It has been proven that their harm is at least 95% lower than cigarettes, making them the most effective way for smokers to quit smoking.


Banning these risk reducing products will only make many smokers persist in smoking and lead to unnecessary premature death


Hu Man urged the Kazakh authorities to follow Sweden's example, and the smoking rate in Sweden is expected to drop below 5% in the coming months. This is a level that a country is considered officially smoke-free.


Sweden was the first EU country to achieve this milestone -17 years ahead of schedule - through its policy of providing, acceptable, and affordable e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes for adult smokers.


Quitting smoking like Sweden can save lives, "Human said. "Compared with other European countries, Sweden has reduced the number of tobacco related deaths by 44%, the incidence rate of cancer by 41%, and the number of deaths caused by any cancer by 38%.


Sweden is in a leading position among other countries, such as the UK, where its health services department provides free e-cigarette kits to smokers to help them quit. The government is funding the 'trade in cigarettes' program, with the goal of achieving smoke-free status in the country by 2030.


Meanwhile, just last month, the largest study of its kind in the United States confirmed the enormous value of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. Researchers at the Hollins Cancer Center in South Carolina found that e-cigarettes can encourage people to quit smoking - even those who participated in the experiment expressed no intention of quitting.


These pieces of evidence are convincing and should no longer be ignored. If the Kazakh authorities take saving lives seriously, they should follow science and provide affordable e-cigarettes, rather than blocking smokers from being a proven 'fireproof passage' Human concluded.