Global Action to End Smoking is celebrating the success of tobacco harm reduction in Sweden, highlighting the positive impact on public health. In its latest statement, the organisation—formerly known as The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World—notes that if other countries adopted similar approaches, we could move more swiftly towards a world free from the death and disease caused by smoking.
Speaking on behalf of Global Action to End Smoking, Vice President of Programmes Erik Augustson said:
“In the last few decades, Sweden has been a trailblazer in creating policies that encourage adults to quit smoking and dissuade those who have never smoked from picking up cigarettes.”
Sweden has a long history of progressive tobacco policies. In 1993, it became one of the first countries to introduce smoke-free workplace legislation. Five years later, it launched a national quit-smoking helpline to support successful cessation and added graphic health warnings on cigarette packs.
More recently, Sweden has promoted the use of snus and other non-tobacco nicotine products as alternatives to traditional nicotine replacement therapies. Augustson explains:
“Snus is a smokeless tobacco product made through a process that removes most of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes and other forms of non-combustible tobacco. Other reduced-risk nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches—which contain no tobacco—have also become available in Sweden, alongside e-cigarettes.”
He continues:
“This is tobacco harm reduction at work. Since 2004, the number of adults who smoke daily in Sweden has fallen from more than 16% of the population to around 5%. More importantly, key public health indicators have improved: Sweden now has some of the lowest rates of lung cancer in Europe—a disease strongly linked to smoking. By providing adults with access to alternative nicotine products, Swedish policy is saving lives.”
The organisation also points to the United Kingdom as another example of tobacco harm reduction in practice. There, public health officials have supported reduced-risk tobacco and nicotine products for individuals who cannot—or choose not to—quit smoking. Despite recent and upcoming legislation that is less supportive of vaping, it remains national policy to offer nicotine vape starter kits alongside cessation counselling as part of the country’s smoking cessation programme.
“This decision was informed by research showing substantial reductions in exposure to the harmful chemicals in cigarettes, and that e-cigarettes are an effective tool for helping smokers quit,” Augustson adds. “We know that tobacco harm reduction saves lives, and now we can see how this approach can work at a national level. It is vital to highlight these successes and support efforts in other countries to build national programmes grounded in evidence and a compassionate understanding of the needs of people who smoke.”
Global Action’s 38 grantees across 41 countries conduct research to illuminate the many smoking cessation tools available worldwide and support programmes educating adults who smoke, healthcare providers, and other experts about the public health benefits of tobacco harm reduction. This work complements traditional cessation programmes for adults who cannot, or will not, quit.
“Working together, we can move faster towards a world free from the death and disease caused by smoking.”