Sweden Is the Last Hope for Nicotine Sanity

While most EU countries are busy trying to regulate their way into a public health disaster, Sweden just might save the day, again.

Last week, Sweden’s EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz announced the government will oppose the European Commission’s proposal to raise tobacco taxes, a move that would make snus and nicotine pouches more expensive for consumers.

That’s right: at a time when we should be encouraging safer alternatives, Brussels is trying to tax them into oblivion.

But Sweden isn’t playing along, and for good reason.

The country is on track to become the first smoke-free nation in the world, with a smoking rate below 5.4%. Compare that to the EU average of 29% among young adults, and you’ll see why Sweden is in a league of its own.

What’s the secret? It’s not bans or fearmongering. It’s a harm reduction strategy that actually works:

• Legal access to nicotine pouches and snus
  
• Variety of flavors and strengths
  
• Education over prohibition
  
• Risk-based taxation, not moral crusades
  

The results speak for themselves:

• Only 3% of young Swedish adults smoke
  
• Sweden has 41% fewer tobacco-related cancer cases than the EU average
  
• It also has the lowest lung cancer rate in Europe
  

And now the EU wants to punish that success with a one-size-fits-none tax hike? That’s not public health. That’s policy malpractice.

Jessica Rosencrantz’s opposition isn’t just good for Sweden. It’s a lifeline for every European who values science, choice, and common sense.