Restrictive policies on safer nicotine alternatives are hindering progress in the EU’s battle against smoking, according to Smoke Free Sweden.
A recent analysis by the group revealed that, at current rates, the EU will not meet its “smoke free” target for another 76 years.
Smoke Free Sweden contrasts the situation in Sweden, where regulatory accommodation of a lower-risk nicotine products—snus—has led to record-low smoking rates, with that in the remainder of the EU, where snus is banned and regulators have cracked down on other alternative products, such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products.
According to Smoke Free Sweden, widespread resistance to safer alternatives in other nations has pushed the EU’s average smoking rate five times higher than Sweden’s.
“It is time for the EU to recognize that restrictive policies on safer nicotine alternatives are costing lives,” said Delon Human, lead author of the report Missing The Target in a statement.
“The data clearly show that countries prioritizing harm reduction are achieving the smoke free goals that remain a distant dream for other member states. Only by embracing safer alternatives can the EU hope to reverse the current trends, save lives and achieve its long-awaited smoke free goal.”
The data clearly show that countries prioritizing harm reduction are achieving the smoke free goals that remain a distant dream for other member states.
According to Smoke Free Sweden, Missing The Target uncovers fundamental flaws in the EU’s approach to achieving its goal of a 5 percent smoking rate by 2040. The 5 percent rate is the internationally recognized benchmark for “smoke free” status.
At its current rate, EU smoking prevalence is projected to drop below 5 percent by 2100, the report found.
What’s more, in nations with severe restrictions on safer nicotine alternatives, cigarette smoking has not only persisted but, in some cases, increased. Estonia, where vape flavors are banned, has seen a staggering 38.89 percent rise in smoking—evidence, according to Smoke Free Sweden, that restrictive policies may be backfiring dramatically.
By contrast, Sweden is on the brink of achieving its smoke-free target 16 years ahead of the EU’s goal. The key to its success, according to Smoke Free Sweden, lies in making safer nicotine alternatives accessible, acceptable and affordable. The widespread availability of alternatives such as snus, nicotine pouches and vapes has driven smoking rates down to near smoke-free levels.
Likewise, Czechia’s embrace of tobacco harm reduction (THR) principles has contributed to a 23 percent drop in smoking rates over the past four years, Missing the Target points out.
“The EU’s current tobacco control policy—relying heavily on taxation, smoking bans and product regulations—has produced only incremental reductions in smoking,” said report co-author Anders Milton, a physician and former president of the Swedish Medical Association.
“A growing body of evidence points to the need for a modernized, evidence-based framework that embraces safer alternatives as part of a comprehensive THR strategy.”