Sweden becomes a smoke-free country

belval

> Smoke-free > Less than 5% Incredible milestone but when 1 in 20 is still smoking I feel like it's a bit early to call yourself smoke free.

nephihaha

I wonder what their next moral/health/social/environmental crusade will be. Governments have made vast sums out of tobacco duty, so what do they need to make up for that?

TazeTSchnitzel

Sweden is unusual in that it has a culture of using snus , a non-smoking tobacco preparation, and in fact it is unique among the EU member states in having it actually be legal (it's banned EU-wide, but Sweden got an opt-out in the accession negotiations). Neighbouring Norway also has legal snus but Norway isn't a full EU member. This probably contributes to the low smoking rates, but it also means that Swedish politicians love acting like the tobacco industry is their best friend,[1][2] because it's in the national interest to protect this uniquely Swedish tradition or whatever. And recently, the so-called white snus (Swedicism; English name is nicotine pouches, only Sweden considers this a kind of snus) like ZYN is a way for the Swedish tobacco industry to get a new generation of young people hooked in nicotine, interestingly including ones outside Sweden. [1] https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/regeringen-presenterade-t... [2] https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenskar-i-eu-pratar-flit...

Nesco

Last time I went there I saw a founder that couldn’t do an interview without changing zyn pouches every literal five (5) minutes

some_random

What a masterclass in modern spin: 1: Take a problem, in this case tobacco consumption 2: Isolate a part of it, ideally a the part that is most visible and/or easiest to go after. As others have mentioned, Sweden has a large culture of non-smoked tobacco consumption 3: Define an easily achieved win condition, brand it as complete success. In this case "smoke-free" means under 1 in 20 Swedes smoke 4: Get your buddies in the press to publish breathless articles on your 'Incredible' milestone 5 (ideally optional): If anyone ever tries to hold you accountable, double down.

porsager

Correction. Only 5% admit to smoking

hartjer

Do Netherlands next

jacobgorm

Smoke free perhaps but not nicotine free by far. I live in Denmark and have a teenage son, he tells me that 90% of girls at his year are hooked on illegally imported and unregulated vapes, much stronger in nicotine than cigarettes, and in some cases loaded with fentanyl and other drugs. We have had the first couple of deaths of 15-year olds already. Meanwhile, the parents' generation and politicians are looking at the declining cigarette sales (and declining tax revenues) and are busy declaring victory and self-congratulating, with no idea what is coming.