STOCKHOLM — Summer season is within the air, cigarette smoke is just not, in Sweden’s outside bars and eating places.
Because the World Well being Group marks “World No Tobacco Day” on Wednesday, Sweden, which has the bottom price of smoking within the European Union, is near declaring itself “smoke free” — outlined as having fewer than 5% day by day people who smoke within the inhabitants.
Many specialists give credit score to many years of anti-smoking campaigns and laws, whereas others level to the prevalence of “snus,” a smokeless tobacco product that’s banned elsewhere within the EU however is marketed in Sweden as an alternative choice to cigarettes.
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Regardless of the motive, the 5% milestone is now inside attain. Solely 6.4% of Swedes over 15 have been day by day people who smoke in 2019, the bottom within the EU and much under the common of 18.5% throughout the 27-nation bloc, in keeping with the Eurostat statistics company.
Figures from the Public Well being Company of Sweden present the smoking price has continued to fall since then, reaching 5.6% final 12 months.
“We like a wholesome solution to reside, I believe that’s the explanation,” mentioned Carina Astorsson, a Stockholm resident. Smoking by no means her, she added, as a result of “I don’t just like the scent; I wish to deal with my physique.”
The dangers of smoking seem effectively understood amongst health-conscious Swedes, together with youthful generations. Twenty years in the past, nearly 20% of the inhabitants have been people who smoke — which was a low price globally on the time. Since then, measures to discourage smoking have introduced down smoking charges throughout Europe, together with bans on smoking in eating places.
France noticed file drops in smoking charges from 2014 to 2019 however that success hit a plateau in the course of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic — blamed partly for inflicting stresses that drove folks to gentle up. About one-third of individuals aged 18 to 75 in France professed to having smoked in 2021 — a slight improve on 2019. A few quarter smoke day by day.
Sweden has gone additional than most to stamp out cigarettes, and says it’s resulted in a variety of well being advantages, together with a comparatively low price of lung most cancers.
“We have been early in limiting smoking in public areas, first at school playgrounds and after-school facilities, and later in eating places, outside cafes and public locations reminiscent of bus stations,” mentioned Ulrika Årehed, secretary-general of the Swedish Most cancers Society. “In parallel, taxes on cigarettes and strict restrictions on the advertising of those merchandise have performed an necessary position.”
She added that “Sweden is just not there but,” noting that the proportion of people who smoke is larger in deprived socio-economic teams.
The sight of individuals lighting up is turning into more and more uncommon within the nation of 10.5 million. Smoking is prohibited at bus stops and prepare platforms and out of doors the entrances of hospitals and different public buildings. Like in most of Europe, smoking isn’t allowed inside bars and eating places, however since 2019 Sweden’s smoking ban additionally applies to their outside seating areas.
On Tuesday night time, the terraces of Stockholm have been full of individuals having fun with meals and drinks within the late-setting solar. There was no signal of cigarettes, however cans of snus could possibly be noticed on some tables. Between beers, some patrons stuffed small pouches of the moist tobacco underneath their higher lips.
Swedish snus makers have lengthy held up their product as a much less dangerous different to smoking and declare credit score for the nation’s declining smoking charges. However Swedish well being authorities are reluctant to advise people who smoke to change to snus, one other extremely addictive nicotine product.
“I don’t see any motive to place two dangerous merchandise up towards one another,” Årehed mentioned. “It’s true that smoking is extra dangerous than most issues you are able to do, together with snus. However that mentioned, there are lots of well being dangers even with snus.”
Some research have linked snus to elevated danger of coronary heart illness, diabetes and untimely births if used throughout being pregnant.
Swedes are so keen on their snus, a distant cousin of dipping tobacco in the US, that they demanded an exemption to the EU’s ban on smokeless tobacco once they joined the bloc in 1995.
“It’s a part of the Swedish tradition, it’s just like the Swedish equal of Italian Parma ham or every other cultural behavior,” mentioned Patrik Hildingsson, a spokesman for Swedish Match, Sweden’s prime snus maker, which was acquired by tobacco large Philip Morris final 12 months.
He mentioned policymakers ought to encourage the tobacco trade to develop much less dangerous options to smoking reminiscent of snus and e-cigarettes.
“I imply, 1.2 billion people who smoke are nonetheless on the market on the planet. Some 100 million folks smoke day by day within the EU. And I believe we will (solely) go thus far with policymaking rules,” he mentioned. “You will have to offer the people who smoke different much less dangerous options, and a variety of them.”
WHO, the U.N. well being company, says Turkmenistan, with a price of tobacco use under 5%, is forward of Sweden in terms of phasing out smoking, however notes that’s largely because of smoking being nearly nonexistent amongst girls. For males the speed is 7%.
WHO attributes Sweden’s declining smoking price to a mix of tobacco management measures, together with info campaigns, promoting bans and “cessation help” for these wishing to give up tobacco. Nevertheless, the company famous that Sweden’s tobacco use is at greater than 20% of the grownup inhabitants, just like the worldwide common, if you embody snus and related merchandise.
“Switching from one dangerous product to a different is just not an answer,” WHO mentioned in an electronic mail. “Selling a so-called ‘hurt discount strategy’ to smoking is one other approach the tobacco trade is attempting to mislead folks concerning the inherently harmful nature of those merchandise.”
Tove Marina Sohlberg, a researcher at Stockholm College’s Division of Public Well being Sciences, mentioned Sweden’s anti-smoking insurance policies have had the impact of stigmatizing smoking and people who smoke, pushing them away from public areas into backyards and designated smoking areas.
“We’re sending alerts to the people who smoke that this isn’t accepted by society,” she mentioned.
Paul Monja, considered one of Stockholm’s few remaining people who smoke, mirrored on his behavior whereas on the brink of gentle up.
“It’s an habit, one which I purpose to cease in some unspecified time in the future,” he mentioned. “Perhaps not right now, maybe tomorrow.”
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Related Press author John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
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