There has always been well-documented and substantial evidence of various side effects of smoking. It has been identified as the leading cause of severe health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. This article delves into how the introduction of smokeless nicotine products, particularly snus, has significantly contributed to reducing smoking rates in Sweden.
The implications of smoking causing severe health issues became widely recognized in the mid-20th century. It dates back to 1964 when the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee’s report on Smoking and Health was released. The report concluded that tobacco smoking is linked to and can cause lung and laryngeal cancer in men and is a probable cause of lung cancer in women, as well as the main cause of chronic bronchitis. The report marked the beginning of implementing harm-reduction strategies to reduce smoking rates and the potential risks globally.
More recent data from the European Commission attributes nearly 700,000 deaths every year, concluding that 50% of smokers die prematurely.
While the research on health hazards and other risks caused by tobacco smoke has gone a long way since the Surgeon General’s report, the industry is still looking for effective reduction practices.
Smokeless tobacco alternatives have become part of a potential harm-reduction strategy for smokers seeking an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Smokeless alternatives such as snus and nicotine pouches offer consumption that prevents the users from the toxic chemicals of tobacco smoke and the non-smokers from secondhand smoke exposure.
Based on the Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting report by the National Cancer Institute, 250 of 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke are toxic. Given smoking implies inhalation of burned tobacco smoke, these chemicals can seriously impact the health of smokers and non-smokers around them alike.
At the same time, snus and some other smokeless alternatives offer smoke-free and discreet nicotine consumption with no inhalation required. Thus, it is important to ensure that the intake does not result in toxic chemicals being released into your lungs. Snus and nicotine pouches also offer a more socially accepted way of nicotine consumption, ensuring the environment is not exposed to many harmful combustion-related chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
Snus has a long history in Sweden, dating back to the early 17th and 18th centuries. Unlike other countries, snus is now embedded into Swedish culture, and a significant number of people make it their obvious choice of tobacco intake.
Sweden’s success in reducing smoking rates through the use of snus is often considered a case study in tobacco harm reduction.
With increasing promotion and use of snus over smoking cigarettes, Sweden has managed to achieve groundbreaking results in smoking rate reduction in recent years. While not all the results can be attributed to snus, it continues to play a pivotal role in Sweden’s breakthrough in tobacco control, making it the EU’s leader in reducing deaths attributed to smoking. Sweden’s success story is often referred to as the “Swedish Experience.”
Given Sweden’s strategic approach to smoke-free alternatives, it has achieved considerable milestones in recent years. These statistics spark hope for Sweden’s goal of a smoke-free society. Sweden has managed to reach its target earlier than other EU countries.
The success of the Swedish approach towards reducing smoke is well-documented and evidence-based.
The 2019 Eurostat’s statistics on smoking of tobacco products revealed that with a smoking rate of 9.3 percent, Sweden had the lowest prevalence of daily smoking compared to other EU countries.
According to the Swedish Experience report by “Smoke Free Sweden,” in November 2022, smoking levels decreased to 5.6 percent among people over the age of 16. This has brought Sweden closer to reaching the global smoke-free threshold of less than 5 percent smoking rate.
The WHO’s global report on the “Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco Use 2000-2025” confirms that Sweden is expected to maintain the lowest tobacco use rates in the EU in 2025. The estimate is based on the expected projection of Sweden’s results between 2000 and 2018 to 2025.
Based on the Statistics Sweden report “Smokes or snuffs daily, ULF 2023” (Swedish: Röker eller snusar dagligen, ULF 2023), 22.4 percent of all men in Sweden use snus daily compared to 9.2 percent that smoke.
Sweden is working to reduce deaths from smoke-related diseases and has also succeeded in keeping cancer death rates lower than most EU countries.
The EU regulatory framework for the snus market bans the sale and marketing of snus. The same ban has not been imposed on cigarettes and some other nicotine products yet. Given the Swedish approach and experience, adopting Sweden’s practices in other EU countries might contribute to the smoking rate reduction.
After the WHO (World Health Organization) concluded in 1992 that oral snuff use is carcinogenic to humans, the EU outlawed snus. Sweden is the only EU country currently exempt from the ban. Given that the use of the product was already a part of Swedish culture and lifestyle, this was a condition of the country’s EU membership treaty.
As the global health sector continues to seek effective strategies for smoking rate reduction, following Sweden’s evidence-based approach might be the key to reaching the desired numbers. Adopting regulations based on documented successful practices for smoke reduction would contribute to the EU’s effort toward having a smoke-free society.
The success of the Swedish Experience highlights the potential benefits smokeless nicotine products can bring. By providing safer alternatives to smoking, countries can reduce smoking rates and improve the overall public health sector. Sweden’s example offers valuable insights for other countries aiming to combat the health impacts of smoking.
The integration of historical context, industry response, and the best practices of the Swedish approach will result in more comprehensive public health strategies for reducing smoking rates and improving health outcomes. Thus, the approach deserves to be considered when adopting the regulatory framework.
The provided texts are for informational purposes only and are based on publicly available data and studies. Readers are encouraged to consult relevant professionals when seeking healthcare advice and guidance.
