WHO spurns the world’s most successful anti-smoking story
May 21, 2026 by smokefreesweden.org
WHO spurns the world’s most successful anti-smoking story
Sweden’s continued decline in smoking prevalence is increasingly being cited as evidence in support of tobacco harm reduction approaches. Public health experts point to the country’s widespread use of non-combustible nicotine products, including snus and nicotine pouches, alongside some of the lowest rates of smoking-related disease in Europe. The debate has intensified as other countries consider stricter regulation of reduced-risk products despite growing evidence of substantial differences in harm between combustible and non-combustible nicotine use. Questions remain over whether international tobacco policy frameworks are adequately reflecting real-world outcomes observed in countries with high uptake of safer nicotine alternatives.
9.90% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 867,000 current smokers in Sweden 11.70% of men are current smokers but only 8.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
