AI and prevention: when the health system puts itself at the service of everyone – by Antoine Tesnière and Aurélie Jean

Turkmenistan: the crusade against tobacco between repression. Similarly, black market and social challenge

Opinion (with AFP)

Achkhabad – Adolescent, Bekmoura Khodjaïev was hid from his parents to smoke. In addition, Fifty years later. Therefore, this retiree still hides, but now from the Turkmenistan police, where the authorities promise to “release” this reclusive country from Central Tobacco Asia by the end of the year. Meanwhile, “I smoke in my apartment. Furthermore, But if the desire takes me to smoke in town. However, I am looking for a place without surveillance cameras to avoid a fine: an alley, a dead end, behind high bushes, trees, in a deserted place, “this 64 -year -old mason told AFP. Nevertheless, “I have already been verbalized at the bottom of my house. However, Since then, I have been trying not to be ai prevention: when health system fooled, ”said Mr. Nevertheless, Khodjaïev. Meanwhile, Police hunt for smokers to “eradicate smoking” by the end of 2025. However, transform this ex-Soviet republic of some seven million inhabitants first “country freed from tobacco”. Meanwhile, An objective set in 2022 by the undisputed leader, Gourbangouly Berdymoukhamedov. In addition, This ex-dentist exalting a healthy lifestyle has made Turkmenistan one of the world champions to fight smoking. However, with only 4% consumers, according to the World Health Organization, which assesses more than seven million, the number of deaths due to tobacco each year. Furthermore, To satisfy its addiction. the Khodjaïev mason “buys cigarettes in private kiosks, because there are none in state stores”, properties of the Ministry of Commerce. In his kiosk in the capital Achkhabad, the seller Meïlis offers imported cigarettes “from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Iran”. “Most of the time, I sell them to the unity. Not everyone can afford to buy ai prevention: when health system a whole package. it’s too expensive, ”says this 21 -year -old young man, fearing to say the sentence too much to a journalist. Founds in abundance according to several inveterate smokers interviewed by AFP. the package varies from 50 to 170 cars, cigarettes between two and five. A package can represent up to 11% of the average salary. which was around 1,500 mans in 2018, according to the latest Turkmens data available. A substantial sum. even if comparisons with other countries are complicated by the double exchange rate in Turkmenistan: the official, used by the State to artificially control the currency, and that, real, of the black market, six times lower. In an Achkhabad hospital, doctor Soltan welcomes the “active tobacco fight”. “We treat tobacco dependence. The Ministry of Health has created centers where smokers can get advice for free to stop, “she explains to AFP. But the authorities mainly ai prevention: when health system focus on coercion to achieve their objectives: increase in customs taxes. of the legal age to smoke; Prohibition to consume almost everywhere or almost, limitation to two of the number of packages authorized to import and obviously, an increase and multiplication of contraventions, up to 200 manats. “After receiving several fines. I definitively decided to stop after an episode where I smoked in my own car, parked in a municipal parking lot,” says Ilyas Byachimov, 24 -year -old entrepreneur. “A police officer locked me. I protested saying it was my car. He replied: Yes, the car is yours, but the parking lot is a public place, ”he recalls. Public apologies in this country living in the “rebirth era of a new powerful state” governed without discontinuous since 2006 by the Berdymoukhamedov. Father Gourbangouly then the Sondar son, this almost absolu power is staged. After the order of President Serdar Berdymoukhamedov ai prevention: when health system to lead a “uncompromising fight” against tobacco in 2023. around twenty people exhibited on TV promised never to smoke chicha or to import smuggling tobacco. And incinerations of smuggling cigarettes against the background of traditional Turkmens dances and music are regularly organized. The year 2025 is already well advanced, but the authorities have not yet shouted victory. Solicited by AFP. the Ministry of Health refused to respond, it is not surprising for this mutual country where to obtain information is extremely complicated and checking it is almost impossible. But smokers seemed skeptical about the application of this total ban. “The cigarettes will not disappear completely. but will become much more expensive and a black market will appear,” thinks the worker Haïdar Chikhiev, 60. The saleswoman Galina Soïounova believes that cigarettes “will always be available under the coat, even more expensive”. “Who will buy cigarettes at gold prices?” Person. The question ai prevention: when health system of smoking will be settled on its own, ”concludes the forties. And even before having achieved its objective with tobacco, Turkmenistan announced in mid-July an action plan to tackle alcohol by 2028. Anton Lomov © Agency France-Presse