Summer is in the air, but outdoor taverns and restaurants in Sweden do not allow smoking.
As the World Health Organization observes “World No Tobacco Day” on Wednesday, Sweden, which has the lowest smoking rate in the European Union, is close to declaring itself “smoke-free”
Sweden Close To Becoming First Smoke-Free Country
Many experts attribute decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation, while others point to the prevalence of “snus,” a smokeless tobacco product that is prohibited in the rest of the European Union but marketed as an alternative to cigarettes in Sweden.
Regardless of the rationale, the 5% mark is now within reach. Eurostat reports that only 6.4% of Swedes over the age of 15 were daily smokers in 2019, the lowest rate in the EU and far below the average of 18.5% across the 27-nation bloc.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, the smoking rate has continued to decline since then, reaching 5.6% last year. Among health-conscious Swedes, including newer generations, the dangers of smoking appear to be well understood. Twenty years ago, nearly 20% of the population smoked, which was a relatively low rate globally. Since then, measures to discourage smoking, such as restaurant smoking restrictions, have reduced smoking rates throughout Europe.
In France, smoking rates fell to record lows between 2014 and 2019, but this progress stalled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was partially attributed to stress-induced smoking. About one-third of French adults aged 18 to 75 admitted to smoking in 2021, a modest increase from 2019. About a quarter of the population smokes daily.
Sweden has gone further than most nations to eradicate cigarettes, resulting in a variety of health benefits, including a relatively low lung cancer rate. In the 10.5 million-person nation, it is becoming increasingly uncommon to see individuals smoking. At bus stops, train platforms, and the entrances of hospitals and other public buildings, smoking is prohibited.
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Most European Countries Prohibit Smoking In Public
Similar to the rest of Europe, smoking is not permitted inside bars and restaurants in Sweden, but as of 2019, the smoking prohibition also applies to outdoor seating areas.
Tuesday evening, the Stockholm terraces were packed with people savoring food and beverages as the sun set. On a few tables, there were cans of snus, but no cigarettes were present. Some consumers inserted small pouches of the moist tobacco under their upper lips between pints.
Swedish snus manufacturers have long touted their product as a safer alternative to smoking and have taken credit for the nation’s declining smoking rates. However, Swedish health authorities hesitate to recommend that smokers transition to snus, another extremely addictive nicotine product.
Some studies have linked snus use during pregnancy to an increased risk of cardiac disease, diabetes, and premature births. Swedes are so fond of snus, a distant relative of American dipping tobacco, that they demanded an exemption from the EU’s prohibition on smokeless tobacco when they joined the union in 1995.
“It’s like the Swedish equivalent of Italian Parma ham or any other cultural habit,” said Patrik Hildingsson, a spokesman for Swedish Match, the country’s leading snus manufacturer, which was acquired by Philip Morris last year.
He suggested that policymakers should encourage the tobacco industry to create less hazardous alternatives to smoking, such as snus and electronic cigarettes.
WHO, the United Nations’ health agency, reports that Turkmenistan, with a tobacco use rate of less than 5%, is ahead of Sweden in terms of phasing out smoking, but that this is primarily due to the fact that smoking is virtually nonexistent among women. The rate for males is 7%.
WHO attributes the declining smoking rate in Sweden to a combination of tobacco control measures, such as information campaigns, advertising restrictions, and “cessation support” for those wishing to cease tobacco. Nonetheless, the agency noted that more than 20% of the adult population in Sweden uses nicotine, which is comparable to the global average when snus and similar products are included.
Tove Marina Sohlberg, a researcher at Stockholm University’s Department of Public Health Sciences, asserts that Sweden’s anti-smoking policies have stigmatized smoking and smokers, forcing them into backyards and designated smoking areas.
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