Sweden Inches Close To Becoming Europe’s First Smoke-Free Country

New Delhi: As the World Health Organisation marked World No Tobacco Day on Wednesday, Sweden, which has the lowest rate of smoking in Europe, inched closer to declaring itself “smoke-free” — defined as having fewer than 5% daily smokers in the population.

Many experts give credit to decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation, while others point to the prevalence of “snus,” a smokeless tobacco product that is banned elsewhere in the European Union but is marketed in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes, according to media reports. The 5% milestone is now within reach. Only 6.4% of Swedes over 15 were daily smokers in 2019, the lowest in the EU and far below the average of 18.5% across the 27-nation bloc, according to the Eurostat statistics agency.

Figures from the Public Health Agency of Sweden show the smoking rate has continued to fall since then, reaching 5.6% last year.

The risks of smoking appear well understood among health-conscious Swedes, including younger generations. Twenty years ago, almost 20% of the population were smokers — a low rate globally at the time. Sweden has gone further than most to stamp out cigarettes, and says it’s resulted in a range of health benefits, including a relatively low rate of lung cancer, Mid-Day reported.