Sweden could be just one week from being declared the world’s first ‘smoke-free’ country - 17 years ahead of the European Union target.
The Scandinavian country has by far the lowest smoking rate in Europe, having fallen from 15 per cent in 2007 to 5.6 per cent in 2022.
Now it is on the brink of being recognised by the World Health Organisation as “smoke free,” which is defined as having fewer than five per cent daily smokers in the population.
Making anti-smoking history
Global health campaign group Smoke Free Sweden said: “Seven days until Sweden becomes smoke free? Thanks to innovative harm reduction tools like snus, Sweden is closer than ever to reaching this milestone.”
At a time when many countries are moving to ban vapes and other nicotine alternatives, Sweden proves the effectiveness of doing the direct opposite - making them widely available and affordable to help smokers quit.
One in five Swedish adults use vapes, nicotine pouches and/or snus, a smokeless tobacco product.
Sweden has the highest rate of smoking cessation in the world, with more than a third (36 per cent) of respondents to a recent survey saying they used to smoke but have now stopped.
While its nicotine consumption rate is on a par with the rest of Europe, the nation boasts 44 per cent fewer tobacco-related deaths than the European average, 41 per cent lower lung cancer rate and 38 per cent fewer deaths attributable to any cancer. Premature deaths due to tobacco-related diseases are also the lowest in Europe.
Proactive regulation
Sweden’s 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.
This year, the Swedish government implemented a 20 tax cut on snus, acknowledging that it carries significantly lower health risks compared to cigarettes.
Despite these convincing figures, Smoke Free Sweden says most EU member states fail to acknowledge that alternative products are a successful pathway to smoking cessation with the potential to save millions of lives.
Other EU smoking rates stagnate
Recent data shows that smoking rates have stagnated in EU countries where less harmful nicotine alternatives are not readily available.
Survey site Eurobarometer says smoking prevalence across the 27 EU Member States has fallen by only a single percentage point - from 25 per cent to 24 per cent - since 2020.
Sweden’s early progress in cutting smoking rates was assisted by the traditional use of snus – 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.
Meanwhile, countries that have brought in strict measures against vaping and other nicotine alternatives - such as Australia and Brazil - have seen a huge boom in illegal trade that they are struggling to bring under control.
