{"id":14131,"date":"2024-05-13T09:05:10","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T09:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearingtheair.eu\/landmark-report-proves-nicotine-use-does-not-lead-to-tobacco-related-disease\/"},"modified":"2025-01-07T12:08:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T12:08:31","slug":"landmark-report-proves-nicotine-use-does-not-lead-to-tobacco-related-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearingtheair.eu\/en\/post\/landmark-report-proves-nicotine-use-does-not-lead-to-tobacco-related-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Landmark report proves nicotine use does NOT lead to tobacco-related disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A new landmark report – <\/strong>\u2018No Smoke, Less Harm\u2019<\/strong><\/a> – proves that nicotine use does NOT lead to tobacco-related disease. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The study shows that Sweden has dramatically lower rates of tobacco-related deaths and health issues than other European nations – despite similar levels of nicotine intake.<\/p>\n

In Sweden, one in four adults use nicotine daily, the same as across Europe. However, the Scandinavian country reports a massive 41 per cent lower incidence of lung cancer and fewer than HALF the tobacco-related deaths of 24 out of 26 of its European peers. <\/p>\n

The positive impact of nicotine alternatives<\/strong><\/p>\n

This stark contrast is attributed to the widespread adoption of smoke-free nicotine products such as snus, nicotine pouches and vapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis distinction between smoking and the use of smokeless products is crucial,\u201d says Dr. Karl Fagerstr\u00f6m, a public health expert and contributor to the report.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile nicotine is addictive, it does not cause the serious diseases associated with smoking. Our findings support a shift in focus from cessation to substitution with less harmful alternatives for those unable to stop completely.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Soon to be a \u2018smoke-free\u2019 nation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sixty years ago, 49 per cent of Swedish men smoked cigarettes. By 2022, Sweden’s public health agency reported that only 5.6 per cent of Swedish adults continue to do so. Once this figure reaches five per cent, Sweden will officially be declared a \u2018smoke-free\u2019 nation by the World Health Organisation (WHO).<\/p>\n

The new report, unveiled at an event this week by global health advocacy group Smoke Free Sweden<\/a>, compares rates of nicotine usage and different tobacco-related diseases in Sweden against other countries. It finds categorically that nicotine use is NOT a factor in tobacco-related health issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite widespread misperceptions, nicotine does not cause cancer and has minimal, if any, contribution to tobacco-related disease,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n

The report adds that \u201cthere will always be people who wish to consume nicotine, like those who consume caffeine\u201d and enabling consumers to use nicotine in less risky ways will \u201csave millions of lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

How nicotine is consumed is key<\/strong><\/p>\n

What does affect consumers\u2019 health, the report says, is HOW nicotine is consumed. While using alternative products such as snus does not pose a significant risk, smoking is linked with a high incidence of death and disease.<\/p>\n

Sweden\u2019s proactive measures in public health education and regulatory frameworks have encouraged a transition to smokeless nicotine alternatives. This has significantly impacted its public health outcomes. <\/p>\n

The report concludes that other nations could see similar dramatic reductions in the health impacts of tobacco if they embraced nicotine alternatives. <\/p>\n

It says: \u201cTo this day, every year nearly eight million people die globally due to tobacco-related (largely combustion-related) diseases. This highlights a huge opportunity for public health, in terms of the numbers of lives that could be saved if smokers switched to less risky products.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Learning from Sweden\u2019s success story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sweden\u2019s early progress in cutting smoking rates was assisted by the traditional use of snus \u2013 a smoke-free oral tobacco product. The introduction of modern tobacco-free alternatives such as vaping in 2015 and next-generation oral nicotine pouches in 2018, accelerated this progress. Consequently, smoking rates in Sweden have plummeted by an impressive 55 per cent over the last decade.<\/p>\n

Dr. Fagerstr\u00f6m said: \u201cThe Swedish experience demonstrates that understanding and addressing public misperceptions about nicotine can lead to health policies that better protect and inform consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

This report also serves as a call to the WHO and global public health communities to recognise that it is products of combustion that cause harm to smokers, and not nicotine itself. <\/p>\n

The report demands that policymakers: <\/p>\n