Read articles from Sweden

September 18, 2026 by vejpkollen.se

Cautious optimism on smoke-free nicotine is justified when the debate begins to recognise evidence, consumer behaviour and the difference between use and harm. Sweden’s experience has shown that lower-risk alternatives can contribute to falling smoking rates when they are accessible, acceptable and regulated. The challenge now is to turn that lesson into policy without losing sight of youth protection or product standards. Progress depends on treating smoke-free nicotine as part of the solution, not as a problem to be managed out of sight.

September 14, 2026 by politico.eu

The EU’s delayed tobacco tax vote shows how contested the future of nicotine policy has become. Sweden’s election has turned timing into strategy, but the deeper question is whether Europe will tax according to risk or flatten cigarettes, vapes, pouches and heated tobacco into one category. A credible fiscal framework should keep combustible tobacco clearly less attractive than lower-risk alternatives. Tax policy can raise revenue, but it should not erase the incentives that help smokers move away from combustion.

September 10, 2026 by smokefreesweden.org

Ireland’s Taoiseach has been accused of dangerously misleading smokers after claiming vapes are “nearly worse than cigarettes” and signalling support for an outright ban.

Micheál Martin’s comments contradict the latest evidence from Cochrane, widely regarded as the gold standard for independent medical evidence.

Cochrane’s latest review, published on August 26, found high-certainty evidence that nicotine vapes help more people quit smoking than traditional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) such as patches and gum.

September 08, 2026 by snusforumet.se

Australia’s tobacco tax fallout shows the danger of treating price as a standalone public health tool. Excessive excise can push smokers towards illegal cigarettes, strengthen criminal supply chains and weaken trust in regulation. The goal should be lower smoking, not a larger black market. Tax policy works best alongside realistic enforcement and legal access to lower-risk alternatives that make leaving combustion easier.

September 08, 2026 by consideratepouchers.org

Legalising nicotine pouches was never supposed to cause a public health spectacle. New Zealand’s experience suggests that regulated access can simply give adult smokers another smoke-free option without the chaos often predicted by opponents. That matters because fear-based arguments frequently assume the worst before a product is even allowed to operate under rules. Sensible regulation can manage risk while still making room for alternatives that help move people away from cigarettes.

September 07, 2026 by quitlikesweden.org

Access can decide whether quitting smoking is realistic or only recommended. Safer nicotine alternatives need to be available, affordable and acceptable enough for adult smokers to actually use them. Sweden’s experience shows the importance of meeting people with practical options, not just warnings about harm. Public health progress depends on making the route away from combustion easier to take.

September 03, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu

Tobacco control loses credibility when opposition to industry turns into opposition to harm reduction itself. Cigarette companies deserve scrutiny, but that does not make every argument for safer nicotine products a tobacco industry tactic. Adult smokers are poorly served by a debate that treats reduced-risk options as contamination rather than opportunity. Public health should be able to reject industry misconduct while still recognising evidence that helps people move away from combustion.

September 02, 2026 by planetofthevapes.co.uk

Expert reaction to the latest Cochrane findings should move the vaping debate closer to clinical reality. Nicotine vapes have stronger evidence for helping people quit smoking than many critics are willing to acknowledge, especially for adults who have struggled with other methods. That does not make vaping risk-free or suitable for non-smokers. It means cessation advice should reflect the evidence clearly enough to help smokers leave combustion behind.

September 01, 2026 by tidsskriftet.no

Changing nicotine preferences do not necessarily indicate a shrinking nicotine market. They can mean a shift in how people consume nicotine: away from cigarettes and towards pouches, snus, vaping or heated tobacco. That distinction matters because public health outcomes depend on the form of use, not only the presence of nicotine itself. A stable market can still become less harmful when policy helps consumers move away from combustion.

September 01, 2026 by euractiv.com

The Swedish election has turned EU tobacco taxation into a question of political timing, but the public health issue remains unresolved. Taxing cigarettes and smoke-free nicotine products too closely risks erasing the price signal that can help smokers move away from combustion. Sweden’s position reflects more than national preference; it raises the question of whether Europe is willing to tax according to risk. A credible Tobacco Excise Directive should discourage smoking without making lower-risk alternatives less competitive.