For the first time in CAN's surveys, fewer than five percent of Swedes smoke regularly, according to the 2025 annual report on smoking and snus habits. The political goal of Sweden being smoke-free by 2025 has thus been achieved.
The proportion who smoke daily has dropped from 16 percent to 4.8 percent between 2003 and 2025, which is the period examined in the report.
"It's not just the percentage of smokers that has decreased, we also see that people are smoking fewer cigarettes. Given the health risks associated with cigarette smoking, this is very positive," says Mats Ramstedt.
Long-term decline
Smoking has decreased in Sweden since the late 1970s (in the early 1980s, over 30 percent of Swedes smoked daily) and the development can be traced to preventive work that has been carried out on a broad front, says Ramstedt.
The first and perhaps most important thing is that availability has been greatly reduced. It is both more difficult and more expensive to smoke today.
The tax has been raised several times and the real price has risen by 45 percent since 2003, according to Mats Ramstedt.
Furthermore, efforts have been made to ensure that fewer people are enticed to start smoking, including by banning advertising. It is also crucial that it has become much easier to get help to quit, he says.
Not least, there are more and more medications for smoking cessation, and they have also become more available.
At the same time, there has been a sharp increase in snus use in Sweden in recent years, which is often highlighted, not least by the tobacco industry, as a major reason for Sweden's low proportion of smokers.
The effects of snus
What do we know about it?
"Then you have to consider that smoking has decreased significantly even before, when we didn't have this increase in snus. In a way, that speaks against it having been a decisive factor in reducing smoking," says Mats Ramstedt.
My assessment is that there are no studies that show this, and I would maintain that it is primarily about preventive measures.
However, he believes there may be reason to investigate the matter further.
I think it might be worth trying to take a closer look at what role it could have had in relation to other preventive measures.
CAN's report is based on the Monitor Surveys, an annual population survey in which 18,000 people each year answer questions about their alcohol and tobacco consumption. The purpose is to calculate the country's total tobacco consumption and to provide a picture of how consumption is distributed and developed in different population groups.
The Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information is part of civil society with around 50 member organizations.
The board is appointed by the Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte), the Swedish Research Council, the Public Health Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare and by the member organizations via the annual meeting. The government appoints the chairman and deputy chairman.
Source: CAN
