The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sweden close to ‘smoke-free’ but use of substitutes high
Sweden is close to declaring itself “smoke-free” – defined as having fewer than 5% daily smokers in the population.
Some experts have said Sweden’s rate of smoking – the lowest in the EU – is down to decades of antismoking campaigns and legislation, while others point to the prevalence of “snus”, a smokeless tobacco product banned elsewhere in the EU but marketed in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes.
The 5% milestone is now within reach, as statistics from the Public Health Agency of Sweden show the daily smoking rate reached 5.6% last year.
Only 6.4% of Swedes over 15 were daily smokers in 2019, the lowest in the EU and far below the average 18.5% across the 27-nation bloc, according to the Eurostat statistics agency.
Figures from the Public Health Agency of Sweden show the smoking rate has continued to fall since then, to 5.6% last year.
Carina Astorsson, a Stockholm resident, said: “We like a healthy way to live, I think that’s the reason.”
Smoking never interested her, she added, because “I don’t like the smell; I want to take care of my body”.
The risks of smoking appear well understood among Swedes, including younger generations.
Twenty years ago, almost 20% of the population smoked – which was a low rate globally at the time. Since then, measures to discourage smoking have brought down smoking rates across Europe, including bans on smoking in restaurants.
France saw record drops in smoking rates from 2014 to 2019, but that hit a plateau at the height of pandemic stress.
About one-third of people aged 18 to 75 in France professed to having smoked in 2021 – a slight increase on 2019. About a quarter smoke daily.
Sweden has gone further than most to stamp out cigarettes, and says this has resulted in a range of benefits, such as a relatively low rate of lung cancer.
Ulrika Arehed, secretarygeneral of the Swedish Cancer Society, said: “We were early in restricting smoking in public spaces, first in school playgrounds and after-school centres, and later in restaurants, outdoor cafes and public places such as bus stations.
“In parallel, taxes on cigarettes and strict restrictions on the marketing of these products have played an important role.”
She added that “Sweden is not there yet”, noting that the proportion of smokers is higher in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.
The sight of people lighting up is becoming increasingly rare in the country. Smoking is prohibited at bus stops and train platforms and outside the entrances of hospitals and other public buildings.
Like in most of Europe, smoking is not allowed in bars and restaurants, but since 2019 Sweden’s smoking ban also applies to their outdoor seating areas.
Swedish snus makers have long held up their product as a less harmful alternative to smoking and claim credit for the country’s declining smoking rates. But Swedish health authorities are reluctant to advise smokers to switch to snus, another addictive nicotine product.
Some studies have linked it to heart disease, diabetes and premature births.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) attributes Sweden’s rate to a combination including information campaigns, advertising bans and “cessation support”.
But the agency noted Sweden’s tobacco use at more than 20% of adults, is similar to the global average, if snus and other products are included.
“Switching from one harmful product to another is not a solution,” the WHO said. “Promoting a so-called ‘harm reduction approach’ to smoking is another way the tobacco industry is trying to mislead people about the inherently dangerous nature of these products.”