14-07-2025
Shaping The Future Of Tobacco Harm Reduction In Asia-Pacific: AFN25
The inaugural Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN) will take place online on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, beginning at 1300 Singapore Time (SGT). This high-impact event will convene global and regional leaders in science, public health, and lived experience to address the urgent challenges and transformative opportunities in tobacco harm reduction across the Asia-Pacific region.
With smoking rates still stubbornly high in many Asian countries and millions of lives at stake, AFN 2025 provides a vital platform for dialogue on pragmatic, evidence-based approaches to reducing the burden of tobacco-related disease. The forum will explore regulatory innovation, the evolving science of nicotine, and the role of alternative products in harm minimisation.
Leading the speaker line-up is Professor Tikki Pang, Senior Global Health Consultant at the Centre for Healthcare Policy and Reform Studies in Jakarta. A globally respected expert in public health, infectious disease research, and health systems development, Professor Pang will offer reflections on the 20th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its effectiveness in supporting — or hindering — harm reduction strategies in Asia.
Additional speakers include:
Samsul Kamal Ariffin – President of the Malaysian Organization of Vape Entity (MOVE), a leading advocate for evidence-based regulation and consumer access to safer nicotine alternatives.
Professor Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh – Chair of the Malaysian Society of Harm Reduction and expert in health economics, public policy, and non-communicable disease management.
Asa Saligupta – Director of ECST Thailand, who brings a powerful personal perspective on quitting smoking through vaping despite a restrictive legal environment.
Dr. Rohan Sequeira – Cardiologist and Endocrinologist with over 25 years of clinical experience. He will explore the integration of harm reduction into chronic disease prevention strategies.
Dr. Alex Wodak – Founding President of the International Harm Reduction Association and global pioneer in drug policy reform. Dr. Wodak will address the moral and scientific imperatives of harm reduction in tobacco control.
The forum will be moderated by Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).
With smoking prevalence still high across Asia-Pacific, this forum presents an important opportunity to align policy, science, and lived experience in support of pragmatic and humane approaches to tobacco control. Participants will gain valuable insight into the region's shifting regulatory landscape and the potential for reduced-risk products to save lives. The session includes live Q&A segments enabling attendees to engage directly with experts and peers from across the region.
AFN 2025 is free and open to all. Further details, including the full programme are available at
