Tashkent, Uzbekistan (March 2, 2026) — Path to Smoke-Free and We Are Innovation have revealed a new report focused on Uzbekistan. Titled “Banned but Not Gone. Why Uzbekistan’s Nicotine Pouch Prohibition Is Backfiring,” this report analyzes the consequences of smoking and nasvay use for Uzbekistan’s public health, examines the impact of the country’s ban on nicotine pouches, and explores policy alternatives that could accelerate progress toward a smoke-free future and prevent thousands of deaths.
Uzbekistan has a smoking prevalence of 10.7%, or roughly 3.5 million people, most of which are men. Additionally, traditional tobacco products like nasvay are also widely consumed, attracting around 2.5 million of Uzbeks. Despite being smokeless, these products are equally harmful, containing hazardous substances, including pesticides.
Cigarettes and nasvay have a significant impact on Uzbekistan’s public health. In 2019, about 30,000 Uzbeks died from smoking-related causes. The country’s leading cause of death — ischemic heart disease — is also strongly driven by smoking. Furthermore, the prevalence of lip and oral cancer ranks 12th among all cancers, a direct consequence of widespread nasvay consumption. Besides the human losses, the healthcare burden resulting from tobacco use involves a burden for the economy.
In contrast, safer products like nicotine pouches have been banned in Uzbekistan. Pouches are smokeless and tobacco-free and represent the lowest-risk category on the nicotine product spectrum. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recognize them as a viable alternative for smokers to switch.
Consequently, Uzbekistan’s ban on pouches should be revised. The product offers a dual advantage: besides providing an off-ramp from smoking and nasvay use, it also constitutes a manageable option for middle and low-income settings. Pouches do not require electricity, charging or specialized storage and are easy to distribute, displaying a great potential to thrive in remote areas.
Sweden’s experience demonstrates the role nicotine pouches can play in defeating smoking. Sweden became the first EU Member State to become smoke-free, with a smoking rate of 5.3% compared to an EU average of 24%. This was achieved by combining traditional tobacco control measures with policies that ensured the accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of innovative nicotine products, including pouches. Countries with cultural ties closer to Uzbekistan — like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — have also seen positive outcomes from properly regulating (instead of banning) nicotine pouches.
Therefore, complementing traditional measures with innovative alternatives seems to be the key towards a smoke-free future. According to the Path to Smoke-Free platform, under current policies, Uzbekistan will only become smoke-free in 2067. However, at Sweden’s pace this could be achieved in 2041, more than a quarter of a century in advance.
The adherence of Uzbeks to nicotine pouches has progressively increased from 2019 to 2023, when the government banned them. But prohibition did not stop consumption, it just eliminated quality controls and tax revenue. While concerns about selling pouches to minors are valid, such can be resolved by looking at Greece or New Zealand, where the sale of innovative nicotine products to the underage is effectively controlled, without penalizing adults.
Uzbekistan is double landlocked, being totally isolated from the ocean. However, it does not have to be isolated from innovation. Evidence-based regulation, not prohibition, is the pathway to protecting public health while respecting consumers.
ENDS
ABOUT PATH TO SMOKE-FREE
Path to Smoke-Free is an analytical platform by We Are Innovation showing how countries can use innovation to reach smoke-free status. Drawing from Sweden’s success, it identifies three key drivers: Accessibility, Acceptability, and Affordability of innovative nicotine products. The platform combines policy data, insights from Swedish ex-smokers, and forecasting charts projecting when countries will achieve smoke-free status under different policy scenarios. Explore the evidence at https://pathtosmokefree.global/.
ABOUT WE ARE INNOVATION We Are Innovation is a global network of individuals and institutions that believes in innovation’s power to solve the world’s most pressing problems. With over 50 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs worldwide, it represents a diverse civil society committed to advancing human creativity, new technologies, and innovative solutions. Learn more at https://www.weareinnovation.global/.
