Organized by Philip Morris International (PMI), leading international consumer goods company  the traditional “Technovation” conference was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

According to FED.az, the conference focused on innovation and technology in the field of smoke-free products, scientific research and evidence related to these products, tobacco harm reduction, and calls from the medical community. Experts from several countries participated in the event.

The main goal of the event was to discuss ways to reduce the health risks caused by smoking through innovation, scientific research, and the development of legislative frameworks. Topics included the scientific explanation of the risks and benefits of smoke-free products, presentation of international examples, and increasing the acceptance of smoke-free products in regions like Central Asia and the CIS, where smoking rates remain high. Removing legislative barriers was also a key discussion point.

Opening the event, PMI’s Vice President for Communications and Engagement, Tommaso Di Giovanni, spoke about the importance of innovation and technology in the development of smoke-free products and the role of innovation in addressing global challenges.

In his presentation, he emphasized that innovation plays a crucial role in solving global challenges—from food production and sustainable packaging to new vaccines and weight-loss medications:
“With the right policies, these advancements can transform lives. That’s why we must seize this opportunity. By rethinking health, we can make a difference and offer smokers the chance to reduce harm.”

According to Di Giovanni, smoke-free products are still met with skepticism in society, but the growing body of scientific evidence confirms their potential to reduce harm. These products are not just inventions—they are the result of years of scientific research, billions in investment, and technological advancement.

He referenced the Wright brothers’ invention of the airplane:
“At the time, people didn’t believe it was possible. Newspapers even claimed humanity wouldn’t achieve such a feat for another million years. But today, commercial aviation connects millions of people, businesses, and cultures daily. The same approach applies to smoke-free products. Skepticism and hesitation cannot block future achievements. Public health and policy play an inevitable role in this process. Without cooperation with governments, legislators, and the healthcare sector, the transition to a smoke-free future cannot accelerate. If policies are properly designed, they can make a real contribution to reducing health risks for smokers.”

The panel discussion titled “Turning the Smoke-Free Future Vision into Reality” followed. Experts discussed challenges in the CIS and Central Asia. Although access to smoke-free products has increased, smoking rates remain high. While obstacles and opportunities exist for transitioning to a smoke-free future, public education and support from health policies are crucial. The key message from the panel was that realizing a smoke-free future should not be the interest of just one company—it requires support from society and governments.

One of the most interesting and memorable presentations was by Tomoko Iida, PMI’s Director of Scientific Engagement for Southeast Asia, the CIS, and the Middle East. She addressed myths and facts about nicotine. She noted that misconceptions about nicotine are widespread in the CIS region. Many medical professionals have been taught myths like “a drop of nicotine can kill a horse.” However, nicotine itself is not carcinogenic—it does not cause cancer. No health authority in the world has classified nicotine as a carcinogen. Therefore, the question should be: what is the safest way to deliver nicotine? While nicotine is not harmless and is addictive, it is not the main cause of smoking-related diseases. The primary cause is the thousands of harmful and especially harmful substances released when tobacco is burned. Scientifically, it has been proven that the amount of harmful substances in the vapor of smoke-free tobacco products is 90–95% lower compared to cigarette smoke.

Referring to the experiences of Japan and Sweden, she stated that after the introduction of smoke-free products, cigarette sales in Japan dropped by 46% over the past 10 years:
“In 2010, cigarette sales were around 195 billion units, but by 2024, this number fell to 90 billion. At the same time, sales of tobacco sticks used in heated tobacco products increased rapidly. In 2015, their sales were only 0.2 billion units, but by 2018, this figure reached 34 billion, and by 2024, approximately 60 billion. This trend shows that a significant portion of smokers in Japan have switched from traditional cigarettes to heated tobacco products. In Sweden, cigarette sales were very high in the early 20th century. However, since the 1970s, these figures began to decline rapidly. During the same period, sales of snus products increased and gained a larger market share. Since 2017, Sweden has had one of the lowest smoking rates in the European Union. This result is mainly due to smokers switching to smoke-free alternatives, especially snus products. The Swedish example shows that widespread adoption of smoke-free tobacco products can significantly reduce cigarette consumption. This contributes to improved public health and the realization of a smoke-free future.”

According to statistics presented at the event, smoking rates are declining in many countries, although the pace and results vary. For example, Turkey saw a 1.2% decrease between 2014–2019, Thailand (2011–2017) 12.6%, and Brazil (2008–2019) 13.9%.

On the other hand, countries with widespread use of smoke-free tobacco products saw more significant declines: Japan (2014–2019) 14.5%, Sweden (2004–2021) 49.5%, Iceland (2011–2021) 50.0%, and New Zealand (2011–2020) 52.8%. These are clear examples of the impact of smoke-free tobacco products on smoking rates.

Other studies have shown that 80% of people who quit smoking intend to return to it. That’s why PMI offers less harmful products to help reduce the health impact.

During the event, oncologists, pulmonologists, dentists, and cardiologists spoke about the harm of tobacco, presenting scientific evidence on the dangers of traditional tobacco products to human health. It was noted that traditional tobacco smoke inevitably causes lung cancer. According to one participating oncologist, smokers make up eight times more of those diagnosed with lung cancer compared to non-smokers. It was emphasized that innovations in smoke-free technologies can significantly reduce harm for smokers who use nicotine.

Elnur Huseynguluyev 

FED.AZ MEDİA 

Director and Editor-in-Chief

Baku-Astana-Baku