Gaby Zabala-Alemán

Nasvay is a traditional smokeless tobacco product widely used across Central Asia, particularly in Kyrgyzstan. Often produced on a small or household scale, it sits in a complex space between tradition, affordability, tobacco use and harm reduction.

This presentation explores nasvay through the experience of Renat, a producer from Kyrgyzstan who demonstrates how the product is made and explains its place in everyday life. The discussion looks at why people turn to nasvay when cigarettes become too expensive, how its use varies across different parts of Kyrgyzstan, and why it remains largely unregulated.

This video was produced by Knowledge-Action-Change within a grant from the Global Action to End Smoking, Inc. (“Global Action”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation. Global Action had no role in the planning, production or execution of this video.

What happens when public health loses sight of harm reduction? Evidence should come before stigma. Safer choices should be easier - not harder to access. But when nicotine, regulation, and the tobacco industry enter the conversation, politics and morality can quickly complicate the picture. Can we put the evidence first and focus on reducing harm?