- Sweden set to become first "smoke-free" European nation
- The situation comes after decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation
- Being a smoke-free nation is considered to be when it has fewer than 5% daily smokers in its population
Sweden is on track to becoming the first "smoke-free" European nation following decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation resulting in dwindling daily cigarette use.
The situation comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) marks "World No Tobacco Day" on Wednesday. On the other hand, Sweden currently has the lowest smoking rate in the European Union. It is very close to declaring itself smoke-free, which is defined to be a region with fewer than 5% daily smokers among its population.
Sweden Set To Become 'Smoke-Free'
Many experts have argued that Sweden's achievement is attributed to the decades-old anti-smoking campaigns and legislation. Others, however, cited the prevalence of "snus," a smokeless tobacco product banned in other parts of the EU but generally marketed in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes, as per CBS News.
Whatever the actual reason for the situation, the rate of 5% daily smokers is now within reach for Sweden. Only about 6.4% of residents over the age of 15 were considered daily smokers in 2019, which is the lowest in the European Union and far below the 18.5% average across the bloc, which has 27 members.
Sweden's Public Health Agency revealed statistics showing that the country's smoking rate has declined since 2019, going down to 5.6% last year. In a statement, a resident from Stockholm, Carina Astorsson, said that people in the country enjoy a healthy way of life and noted that she does not like the smell of cigarettes.
Health-conscious residents in Sweden appear to be aware of the potential risks of smoking, even among younger people. Roughly two decades ago, nearly 20% of the country's population were considered smokers, which was still relatively low globally.
Anti-Smoking Campaigns and Legislation
On the other hand, France saw a record decline in smoking rates from 2014 to 2019, but that achievement was in a stalemate at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Associated Press, the situation was believed to have been caused by the stresses amid the health crisis that encouraged residents to use cigarettes.
Roughly a third of the French population aged 18 to 75 years confirmed that they smoked in 2021, a slight increase from the statistics in 2019 when roughly a quarter of residents smoked daily.
But Stockholm went even further than other nations to eradicate smoking within its territory fully. Officials said this has resulted in a range of health benefits among their people, including a relatively low rate of lung cancer.
The secretary-general of the Swedish Cancer Society, Ulrika Arehed, said that Stockholm was very quick in limiting smoking in public places, including in school playgrounds. The government later added bans for smoking in outdoor restaurants and bus stations and increased cigarette taxes, said the Voice of America News.
