Smoke Free Sweden Launches Landmark Report
Smoke Free Sweden launches a landmark report proving that high nicotine use does not lead to high rates of health issues
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by Dave Cross
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A new report has been released in Stockholm by international health experts Smoke Free Sweden. They say that “No Smoke, Less Harm” presents “compelling evidence that despite similar levels of nicotine consumption, Sweden boasts significantly lower rates of tobacco-related diseases compared with other European nations”.
The report, which was unveiled during an event organised by Smoke Free Sweden, a global health advocacy group, details rates of nicotine usage in Sweden and a number of comparable countries, finding that nicotine use was not a factor in tobacco-related disease.
The group says that the report provides further evidence that what does affect consumers’ health is the method of consumption. While using alternative products like snus are said not pose a significant risk, smoking is linked with a high incidence of death and disease.
While nicotine consumption in Sweden mirrors the European average, the country reports a 41% lower incidence of lung cancer and fewer than half the tobacco-related deaths of its European peers. This stark contrast is attributed to the widespread adoption of smoke free nicotine products such as snus, nicotine pouches and electronic cigarettes.
“This distinction between smoking and the use of smokeless products is crucial,” says Dr Anders Milton, a public health expert and contributor to the report.
“While nicotine is addictive, it does not cause the serious diseases associated with smoking. Our findings support a shift in focus from cessation to substitution with less harmful alternatives.”
Sweden’s proactive measures in public health education and regulatory frameworks have encouraged a transition to these alternatives, significantly impacting public health outcomes. The report points out that embracing similar harm reduction strategies could be pivotal for other nations striving to reduce the health impacts of tobacco.
Dr Milton concluded, "The Swedish experience demonstrates that understanding and addressing public misperceptions about nicotine can lead to health policies that better protect and inform consumers."
The full report is available online and offers a detailed analysis of the data supporting Sweden’s health outcomes, along with recommendations for policymakers looking to adopt similar approaches in their countries.
References:
- Smoke Free Sweden - www.smokefreesweden.org
- ‘No Smoke, Less Harm’, How non-combustible nicotine alternatives can accelerate tobacco control and harm reduction, to save millions of adult smokers’ lives - https://smokefreesweden.org/No%20Smoke%20Less%20Harm.pdf
Photo Credit:
Images from Smoke Free Sweden ‘No Smoke, Less Harm’
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
