{"id":8640,"date":"2025-08-25T18:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T16:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/?p=8640"},"modified":"2025-08-25T18:20:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T16:20:30","slug":"swedish-politicians-resist-anti-nicotine-dogma-embrace-pragmatic-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/en\/swedish-politicians-resist-anti-nicotine-dogma-embrace-pragmatic-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Swedish politicians resist anti-nicotine dogma, embrace pragmatic progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>As the EU wrestles with another round of tobacco policy reform amid a flurry of anti-nicotine propaganda, the debate about nicotine regulation shows no signs of letting up. In Sweden, however, where smoking rates are the lowest in Europe, political leaders are increasingly leaning into science \u2014 not stigma \u2014 when it comes to policy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than simply bowing to activist rhetoric, Swedish policymakers are instead asking hard questions and examining outcomes, according to Patrik Str\u00f6mer, Secretary General of the <a href=\"https:\/\/snustillverkarforeningen.se\/\">Association of Swedish Snus Manufacturers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPoliticians here are surprisingly well-informed \u2014 even more so than the general public,\u201d he explains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFew of them are dogmatic. They\u2019re asking what works in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Str\u00f6mer\u2019s observations stem in part from his observations at <a href=\"https:\/\/almedalsveckan.info\/rg\/almedalsveckan\/om-almedalsveckan\/det-har-ar-almedalsveckans-innehall\/almedalsveckan-in-english\">Almedalen<\/a>, a major political get-together held every year in June on the Baltic island of Gotland. The nearly week-long event is full of seminars and panel discussions on a wide range of pressing policy issues, including how to best regulate nicotine and tobacco products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A tradition of nicotine innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sweden has a long tradition of nicotine innovation &#8211; from snus, to nicotine gum to tobacco-free nicotine pouches. Thus, it\u2019s no accident that today Sweden boasts record-low smoking rates, with roughly 5 percent of adults smoking daily \u2014 the lowest figure in the EU. This achievement is largely attributed to the widespread availability and acceptance of snus and nicotine pouches as less-harmful alternatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Str\u00f6mer believes that the role of nicotine innovation in Sweden\u2019s success in cutting smoking is gaining traction. He sees a growing awareness among Swedish policymakers about the harm-reduction potential of products like snus and nicotine pouches despite continued anti-nicotine rhetoric.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have something close to a <a href=\"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/en\/will-sweden-dare-to-export-its-own-vaccine-against-smoking\/\">vaccine<\/a> against lung cancer,\u201d he notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf all the world\u2019s smokers switched to snus or nicotine pouches, the debate would be very different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Public health and policy: Aligned, for once?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Str\u00f6mer emphasizes that political consensus in Sweden now largely supports both strong regulation to prevent youth access and continued availability of lower-risk alternatives for adults. One area that drew particular focus during Almedalen was underage access to nicotine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is broad agreement that we need to fix this. It\u2019s not about <em>if<\/em> we should act \u2014 it\u2019s about <em>how<\/em> we do it,\u201d he explains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo one wants minors getting access to nicotine, legally or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pragmatic balance \u2014 restricting access for youth while protecting adult alternatives \u2014 stands in contrast to the often ideologically driven, anti-nicotine policies seen in other parts of Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frustration over anti-nicotine dogma<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this progress, Str\u00f6mer sees areas where the debate remains stalled. He points to persistent activism denying the link between Sweden\u2019s low smoking rate and snus use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s endlessly tiring to hear people say Sweden\u2019s low smoking rate has nothing to do with snus,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course it does. Snus leads to <em>less<\/em> smoking, not more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This refusal of anti-nicotine campaigners to acknowledge harm reduction is, in his view, a disservice to public health.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the same logic as ignoring seat belts because cars aren\u2019t risk-free,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSnus isn\u2019t risk-free, but it\u2019s much safer than smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lessons for Europe: Don\u2019t ignore the results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the EU prepares for potential reforms of its T<a href=\"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/en\/the-tobacco-products-directive-a-guide-to-nicotine-legislation-in-the-eu\/\">obacco Products Directive (TPD)<\/a>, Sweden\u2019s experience could be a model for a smarter, more health-focused approach. Yet, says Str\u00f6mer, <a href=\"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/en\/eu-tobacco-tax-reform-risks-undermining-harm-reduction-report\/\">ideological resistance<\/a> remains strong in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a strange unwillingness in parts of Europe to accept that people need alternatives,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToo often, the debate gets hijacked by moral panic or outdated views on nicotine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, Sweden\u2019s position is stronger than ever. With daily smoking rates at historic lows and WHO\u2019s \u201csmoke-free nation\u201d threshold already achieved, the country\u2019s public health outcomes speak for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s time to stop being embarrassed about our <a href=\"https:\/\/snusforumet.se\/en\/swedens-success-in-nicotine-pouch-regulations-lessons-for-the-eu\/\">success<\/a>,\u201d Str\u00f6mer concludes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve done something right \u2014 and it\u2019s something others could learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the EU wrestles with another round of tobacco policy reform amid a flurry of anti-nicotine propaganda, the debate about nicotine regulation shows no signs&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[254],"tags":[339,258,251,273,248,311],"class_list":["post-8640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","tag-almedalen-en","tag-eu-2","tag-harm-reduction-2","tag-nicotine-pouches","tag-patrik-stromer-en","tag-tpd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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