The European Union aims to create a ‘Tobacco-free Generation’ by 2040 where less than 5% of the population uses tobacco. The provisional goal of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s is to achieve the WHO target of a relative reduction of tobacco use of 30% by 2025 compared to 2010, which corresponds to a smoking prevalence of approximately 20% in the EU.
The only EU country that is close to reaching this objective, years ahead of schedule, is Sweden which once had 49% of its male population smoking regularly, according to the Swedish Experience report.
Sweden has the lowest smoking rate in the EU (on average about 28% of men in the EU smoke). The smoking rate in Sweden reached 5.6% in 2022. According to the figures from the Public Health Agency of Sweden, between 2004 and 2021 daily smoking in Sweden decreased among the population aged 16–84 years. 6 percent of both men and women smoked daily in 2021.
Many experts attribute Sweden’s declining smoking rate to a combination of tobacco control measures and higher pricing on cigarettes through exceptionally high taxes. However, in many EU countries (like Ireland, UK, France, Germany) prices on cigarettes are much higher and smoking restrictions are stricter – and still smoking is much more widespread.
During the last five decades, the Swedes have progressively and systematically made smokeless and less harmful alternatives to cigarette smoking accessible, affordable, and acceptable to their population. In supporting these smoke free options such as snus and nicotine pouches, their pragmatic, approach has contribued to substantial public health gains.
Swedes have long used snus – a traditional oral tobacco product – as an alternative to cigarettes. This has made it easy and socially acceptable to shift from smoking tobacco to using it orally.
The lower smoking prevalence in Sweden has had clear effects on public health. Sweden has the lowest number of smoking-attributable male deaths in Europe, the lowest number of smoking-attributable lung cancer deaths, and the lowest number of smoking-attributable new cancer cases. Sweden’s incidence of cancer is 41% lower than the rest of its European counterparts. Sweden has a 39.6% lower rate of death of all tobacco-related diseases compared to the EU average.
While there are several other contributing factors, for example advances in worker safety in protection gear in factories, less pollution in the air due to many other reforms and restructions, the fact remains. Sweden’s numbers, when compared to other EU countries, show a remarkably strong correlation between reduced smoking and for example lung cancer.
This is now also the case in neighbouring Norway where the use of snus has increased since 2005 and Norwegians now use it to the same extent as Swedes. The increased use of snus in Norway the last two decades has been accompanied by a significant reduction in smoking, and among all age groups. According to different Norwegian studies, snus has been the most common method for smoking cessation.
