Sweden has become smoke-free, reports TT, citing the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN).
Today, less than five percent of the Swedish population smokes regularly, which is the council’s definition of a smoke-free country.
”It’s an incredible development that we’ve been able to reduce a harmful behavior this much,” says research director Mats Ramstedt.
He points to several factors behind this trend. On the one hand, it has become significantly more difficult and expensive to smoke; on the other hand, it has become significantly easier to get help to quit.
ConcentrateFar7753 on
They replaced smoking with Snus. Same addiction to nicotine just a different way to consume it. At least it’s leading to less passive consumption of tobacco
Edit: and needless to say, but apparently I should, less risk of cancers especially for the lungs of everyone
sambare on
That’s not including vapers, is it?
Rockyshark6 on
Another point that helped us achieve this is the cultural change.
Smoking is looked on like white trash/ low life, and people will look down on you for lighting a cigarette around other non-smoking people.
[deleted] on
[deleted]
blauballe on
Insane how all my neighbours are the 5% so I can’t keep my balcony/ windows open even for five minutes without my apartment getting filled with disgusting cigarette smoke.
bierologin on
[cries in Austrian]
Saptronic on
Austria when?
amanset on
I’d say around half the people I work with (I work in game development in Stockholm) use snus. It is crazy how many people do. Many foreigners start on it not long after coming to the country.
So there’s that.
hukep on
I wish Switzerland would follow. It’s such a successful and well-educated country, yet so many smokers make other people’s lives more difficult.
DarkNe7 on
A significantly larger portion uses snus though, in 2024 it was about 16% of the population. The health risks connected with snus seems to be fewer than smoking but it could also be a case of more research having been done on smoking. If it increases the risk of cancer is a bit unclear but it apparently decreases your chances of survival if you do get cancer.
shitkingshitpussy69 on
As a smoker myself, good. I have been unfortunate enough to fall into this addiction, and its financial and health burden is sinister and subtle.
Make it as uncomfortoble and unpleasant to smoke as you can and give people a way out, if you have a friend thats trying to quit, bug them constantly with activities and such.
An anecdotal observation is that due to the low number of smokers, we’ve done away with much of the social and physical infrastructure of smoking. You’re not allowed to smoke in restaurants, and it’s not that common with „smoking spaces“ is public places like airports. I’m sure they *exist* somewhere, but it’s not something greatly accommodated. Likewise, smoke breaks in professional settings aren’t a given and most landlords would be sympathetic to people complaining about the smell of people smoking on balconies. I’d guess that also helps to bring down smoking rates, just by increasing the effort needed to sustain the habit.
bickid on
Congrats
Axelaxe on
I never understood why snus is illegal in so many countries while cigarettes are not. Snus isnt good don’t get me wrong but it’s better than cigarettes for everyone involved.
Solenkata on
This is great to hear. Smoking is so stupid. Used to smoke for 10 years, haven’t smoked in 15. Don’t know why people would risk their health so much and spend hard earned money just so they can smell like an ashtray 24/7
Anirossa on
Snus Central
kingsheperd on
The main smokers are Eastern European immigrants or arabs
IndependentScreen119 on
Brought to you by big snuss lobbying
Denova_Vendetta on
I hope Germany and all of the EU Country’s becames non-smoking.
rita-b on
The last time I was there, the smokers were everywhere. I never saw so many smoking people
Beyllionaire on
I need to move there then. The entire world should be non-smoking
number1pingufan on
Wish this were a thing everywhere. I hate how normalized it is for people in my country to light up in the busiest public spaces. I don’t smoke, I don’t want to smoke, and the last thing I want when leaving the station is to be blasted up the nose with that gross tar. Not to mention people who smoke around their babies and kids, or on a terrace – I came to enjoy my beer and now I taste only smoke: cheers.
EkriirkE on
Awesome news! Smokers are a disgusting breed.
wascallywabbit666 on
>Today, less than five percent of the Swedish population smokes regularly, which is the council’s definition of a smoke-free country.
Hmmmm. The pedantic aspect of my personality me is unhappy with this particular definition
MyLastHopeReddit on
I don’t smoke and have never smoked, yet I can’t bring myself to like these policies of forced elimination of the possibility of smoking. There are many things that put our health at risk that they could decide to ban us „for our own good“, for example alcohol, in short, why smoking no but alcohol yes? Among other things, if you drink you can easily become a danger to society, which is difficult to happen with cigarettes. And at this point even unhealthy foods, even those are bad for us and cost society a lot in medical care and can be addictive. And social media? Social media can be devastating for people and society and it is a fact that they are addictive, then there are dangerous sports, human-driven cars, unprotected sex etc. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous but I don’t like the idea of them banning us from doing whatever the hell we want with our lives for „our own good“, it’s a direction that I don’t know where it leads in my opinion.
Sorry for my bad english.
RandyClaggett on
Snus has lower risk of cancer than smoking and is less annoying for other people. When I go abroad (from Sweden) I always think about how disgusting it is to smell tobacco smoke.
But snus is still a public nuisance. The snus users do not have the civic manners to dispose their snus in trash bins. But throw them everywhere they can.
dj_estrela on
Great!
FortuneHasFaded on
It must be nice. Here I am in Italy having to constantly tell people to fuck off because they’re smoking outside the entrance of the childrens emergency room.
IceNorth81 on
That’s weird, I smoked just this morning 😅
teddbe on
lung cancer is significantly less prevalent in Sweden compared to the rest of the European Union and many other Western countries. Sweden boasts the lowest lung cancer rates in Europe, with its male population seeing roughly a 61% lower incidence than the EU average
FYI: New Zealand was on track to become smokefree by 2030 and then we had a change of government. Now we just gave $400m in tax breaks to Tobacco industry and have loosened regulation.
Big F U to this world corporate takeover disguised as a return to conservatism!
FrustrationHedgehog on
As somebody who have worked with oral cancer in Sweden – better do not use anything with nicotine 🙂 Not pretty.
* Reducing smoking is excellent in any case.
Dramatic-Sherbet-533 on
Was in Helsingborg last year. Was mindblown by how many people were smoking, the amount of butts lying around everywhere and the amount of smoke shops around.
SpeedAccomplished01 on
Well done. Now, try it with alcohol.
vaarsuv1us on
for those that didn’t read the article:
their definition of ’non-smoking‘ is 5% or less of population smokes regularly
j0lle on
Interesting to post it in r/europe, where snus is banned almost everywhere.
Fancy_Leader6278 on
Snus is technically not even the better alternative.
Your going to have people with rotten gums and a risk of mouth related cancer among your people more.
Both are bad.
The better alternative is to not consume addictive things at all.
Capable-Bumblebee584 on
Every man and woman has a nicotine pouch in 24/7. Am I supposed to be impressed?
shponglespore on
Funny coincidence. I’m currently visiting some Swedes who just quit smoking a few months ago. They vape like fiends, though.
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Sweden has become smoke-free, reports TT, citing the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN).
Today, less than five percent of the Swedish population smokes regularly, which is the council’s definition of a smoke-free country.
”It’s an incredible development that we’ve been able to reduce a harmful behavior this much,” says research director Mats Ramstedt.
He points to several factors behind this trend. On the one hand, it has become significantly more difficult and expensive to smoke; on the other hand, it has become significantly easier to get help to quit.
They replaced smoking with Snus. Same addiction to nicotine just a different way to consume it. At least it’s leading to less passive consumption of tobacco
Edit: and needless to say, but apparently I should, less risk of cancers especially for the lungs of everyone
That’s not including vapers, is it?
Another point that helped us achieve this is the cultural change.
Smoking is looked on like white trash/ low life, and people will look down on you for lighting a cigarette around other non-smoking people.
[deleted]
Insane how all my neighbours are the 5% so I can’t keep my balcony/ windows open even for five minutes without my apartment getting filled with disgusting cigarette smoke.
[cries in Austrian]
Austria when?
I’d say around half the people I work with (I work in game development in Stockholm) use snus. It is crazy how many people do. Many foreigners start on it not long after coming to the country.
So there’s that.
I wish Switzerland would follow. It’s such a successful and well-educated country, yet so many smokers make other people’s lives more difficult.
A significantly larger portion uses snus though, in 2024 it was about 16% of the population. The health risks connected with snus seems to be fewer than smoking but it could also be a case of more research having been done on smoking. If it increases the risk of cancer is a bit unclear but it apparently decreases your chances of survival if you do get cancer.
As a smoker myself, good. I have been unfortunate enough to fall into this addiction, and its financial and health burden is sinister and subtle.
Make it as uncomfortoble and unpleasant to smoke as you can and give people a way out, if you have a friend thats trying to quit, bug them constantly with activities and such.
It’s also notable how smoking is distributed in the age brackets ([stats](https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/living-conditions-and-lifestyle/andtg/tobacco/use-of-tobacco-and-nicotine-products/)). In general, young people are less regular smokers, but slightly more common to smoke ‚ocasionally‘. A plausible explanation could simply be party smoking.
An anecdotal observation is that due to the low number of smokers, we’ve done away with much of the social and physical infrastructure of smoking. You’re not allowed to smoke in restaurants, and it’s not that common with „smoking spaces“ is public places like airports. I’m sure they *exist* somewhere, but it’s not something greatly accommodated. Likewise, smoke breaks in professional settings aren’t a given and most landlords would be sympathetic to people complaining about the smell of people smoking on balconies. I’d guess that also helps to bring down smoking rates, just by increasing the effort needed to sustain the habit.
Congrats
I never understood why snus is illegal in so many countries while cigarettes are not. Snus isnt good don’t get me wrong but it’s better than cigarettes for everyone involved.
This is great to hear. Smoking is so stupid. Used to smoke for 10 years, haven’t smoked in 15. Don’t know why people would risk their health so much and spend hard earned money just so they can smell like an ashtray 24/7
Snus Central
The main smokers are Eastern European immigrants or arabs
Brought to you by big snuss lobbying
I hope Germany and all of the EU Country’s becames non-smoking.
The last time I was there, the smokers were everywhere. I never saw so many smoking people
I need to move there then. The entire world should be non-smoking
Wish this were a thing everywhere. I hate how normalized it is for people in my country to light up in the busiest public spaces. I don’t smoke, I don’t want to smoke, and the last thing I want when leaving the station is to be blasted up the nose with that gross tar. Not to mention people who smoke around their babies and kids, or on a terrace – I came to enjoy my beer and now I taste only smoke: cheers.
Awesome news! Smokers are a disgusting breed.
>Today, less than five percent of the Swedish population smokes regularly, which is the council’s definition of a smoke-free country.
Hmmmm. The pedantic aspect of my personality me is unhappy with this particular definition
I don’t smoke and have never smoked, yet I can’t bring myself to like these policies of forced elimination of the possibility of smoking. There are many things that put our health at risk that they could decide to ban us „for our own good“, for example alcohol, in short, why smoking no but alcohol yes? Among other things, if you drink you can easily become a danger to society, which is difficult to happen with cigarettes. And at this point even unhealthy foods, even those are bad for us and cost society a lot in medical care and can be addictive. And social media? Social media can be devastating for people and society and it is a fact that they are addictive, then there are dangerous sports, human-driven cars, unprotected sex etc. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous but I don’t like the idea of them banning us from doing whatever the hell we want with our lives for „our own good“, it’s a direction that I don’t know where it leads in my opinion.
Sorry for my bad english.
Snus has lower risk of cancer than smoking and is less annoying for other people. When I go abroad (from Sweden) I always think about how disgusting it is to smell tobacco smoke.
But snus is still a public nuisance. The snus users do not have the civic manners to dispose their snus in trash bins. But throw them everywhere they can.
Great!
It must be nice. Here I am in Italy having to constantly tell people to fuck off because they’re smoking outside the entrance of the childrens emergency room.
That’s weird, I smoked just this morning 😅
lung cancer is significantly less prevalent in Sweden compared to the rest of the European Union and many other Western countries. Sweden boasts the lowest lung cancer rates in Europe, with its male population seeing roughly a 61% lower incidence than the EU average
https://smokefreesweden.org/Executive%20Summary%20No%20Smoke%20Less%20Harm.pdf
FYI: New Zealand was on track to become smokefree by 2030 and then we had a change of government. Now we just gave $400m in tax breaks to Tobacco industry and have loosened regulation.
Big F U to this world corporate takeover disguised as a return to conservatism!
As somebody who have worked with oral cancer in Sweden – better do not use anything with nicotine 🙂 Not pretty.
* Reducing smoking is excellent in any case.
Was in Helsingborg last year. Was mindblown by how many people were smoking, the amount of butts lying around everywhere and the amount of smoke shops around.
Well done. Now, try it with alcohol.
for those that didn’t read the article:
their definition of ’non-smoking‘ is 5% or less of population smokes regularly
Interesting to post it in r/europe, where snus is banned almost everywhere.
Snus is technically not even the better alternative.
Your going to have people with rotten gums and a risk of mouth related cancer among your people more.
Both are bad.
The better alternative is to not consume addictive things at all.
Every man and woman has a nicotine pouch in 24/7. Am I supposed to be impressed?
Funny coincidence. I’m currently visiting some Swedes who just quit smoking a few months ago. They vape like fiends, though.