Sweden's model opens doors to a smoke-free future

Adopting a harm reduction strategy using alternatives has reduced Sweden's smoking rates

- Gulf News Report

Sweden has provided a pioneering model in the pursuit of a smoke-free future by adopting a harm reduction strategy and using less harmful nicotine alternatives.

While many countries are still struggling to reduce smoking rates, Sweden is close to becoming the first smoke-free country as defined by the World Health Organisation, meaning less than 5 per cent of the adult population smokes.

This shift was the result of a gradual decline in smoking rates over two decades, driven by awareness campaigns and the availability of less harmful alternatives such as traditional snus and tobacco-free nicotine pouches, emphasising that the way nicotine is consumed plays a crucial role in health effects, not nicotine itself.