Sweden is often hailed as an example to follow in terms of reducing smoking risks. With the lowest smoking rates in Europe, the Scandinavian country owes its success to an innovative approach focused on alternative products without combustion, mainly snus. This strategy has had a significant impact on public health, paving the way for a pragmatic approach to reducing tobacco-related risks.
Snus, a non-burning oral tobacco product, played a central role in this success. Used for a long time in Sweden, it is made from pasteurized tobacco and comes in the form of sachets or moist powder to place under the upper lip. Unlike cigarettes, snus does not involve combustion, which significantly reduces health risks.
Historically, Sweden has not been immune to public health problems related to smoking. However, the country has managed to drastically reduce the number of smokers in recent decades. According to statistics, Sweden now has the lowest smoking rate in Europe, with 5.8% of the adult population smoking daily. Thus the country could become the first smoke-free nation in the near future.
Snus has been widely adopted in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes. By providing smokers with a way to satisfy their nicotine craving without inhaling smoke, it has enabled many people to quit smoking or never start. This transition to non-combustion products has had a positive impact on public health, with a reduction in smoking-related illnesses such as lung cancer and heart disease.
The Swedish risk reduction strategy has a tangible impact on the health of the population. The country has significantly lower rates of smoking-related illnesses than other European countries. In addition, mortality attributable to smoking is also reduced. These results demonstrate that public health policies focused on risk reduction can have a significant and positive impact.
Sweden’s success in reducing smoking has attracted the attention of other countries, particularly in the context of global efforts to reduce the prevalence of smoking and associated diseases. Although snus is not yet widely accepted outside of Sweden, its effectiveness as a harm reduction tool suggests that similar models could be explored elsewhere. Especially since the portfolio of non-combustion alternatives is becoming more and more diversified with products such as heated tobacco and noctin sachets.
This harm reduction model represents an innovative public health example that merits examination and potentially replication in other regions of the world facing the tobacco challenge.
