The Swedish government announced 1 November 2024 as the proposed effective date for its reduced tax on alternative nicotine products. The April 2024 confirmation of the 20% decrease in excise tax on snus and 9% increase in taxes on traditional cigarettes has earned the Swedish government widespread commendation from international harm reduction experts.
The official government announcement states that the planned tax changes recognise that snus pose only a fraction of the risk that cigarettes pose.
As Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated in 2023, “Anything we can do to reduce and avoid smoking is good.”
Head of Smoke Free Sweden and former Health Advisor to three World Health Organisation (WHO) Directors-General, Dr Delon Human, stated, “We are delighted to see the Swedish government implementing a sensible and pragmatic approach to tobacco harm reduction.”
With smoking rates of just above 5%, Sweden is on the cusp of becoming the world’s first smoke-free country. Sweden’s tobacco-related deaths are 44% lower, lung cancer rate is 41% lower, and deaths attributable to any cancer are 38% lower than in the rest of the European Union.
Dr Human stresses that Sweden’s successful reduction in smoking rates is due to not only the acceptance of safer alternatives, such as snus, modern nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, but also the fact that they are accessible and affordable to smokers.
“This move to reduce the tax on snus is yet another example of how Sweden is leading the way when it comes to combating the deadly toll of cigarettes,” he concluded.
Smoke Free Sweden
Smoke Free Sweden is a movement that encourages other countries to follow the Swedish experience when it comes to tobacco harm reduction. Sweden is about to become the first ‘smoke-free’ European country, with a smoking rate of below 5%. This remarkable achievement can be attributed to Sweden’s open attitude towards alternative products.
For more information on Sweden’s successful approach to becoming a smoke free nation, please visit www.smokefreesweden.org.
