SWEDEN MADE SMOKING HISTORY AND MUST SHARE ITS SMOKE-FREE ‘GIFT TO THE WORLD’

14 November 2024, Stockholm, Sweden – Consumer group Considerate Pouchers is thrilled to celebrate Sweden’s historic achievement as the first country in the world to become smoke free! #WeMadeSmokingHistory

Sweden has successfully decreased smoking rates in the country to 5.3% and has become officially the first smoke-free country in the world!

The smoking prevalence among people who have benefited from Swedish policies during their entire life is 4.5%. People from the rest of Europe who have come to live in Sweden would be three times more likely to smoke (24%*) if they had not come to live in Sweden (7.9%).

Sweden has a gift that can save millions of lives across the world. Thanks to alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches, vaping or heated tobacco being accessible, acceptable and affordable in Sweden almost 3 million lives would be saved in Europe alone. Sweden has the lowest incidence of smoking related death and disease anywhere in Europe.

“Sweden’s success is proof that providing smokers with safer nicotine alternatives works,” said Carissa During, director of Considerate Pouchers Sweden. “We, Considerate Pouchers want to share Sweden’s success story of reducing smoking rates at the highest levels of government and encourage every country to adopt the Swedish experience. The Swedish experience is Sweden’s Gift To The World.

Today, on the 14th of November, Considerate Pouchers appeared outside the Parliament to share a traditional Swedish Fika with coffee and buns and call for Swedish politicians to share its Gift To The World among the others.
In an open letter delivered to political leaders, the group called for Sweden’s unique and world-leading approach to reduce smoking rates by enabling smokers to switch to alternative nicotine products to be shared as a ‘Gift To The World’.