According to a newly published report, Sweden stands out as a global leader in Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), having achieved remarkably low smoking rates and tobacco-related disease rates. The success is attributed to the widespread use of smoke-free nicotine products such as nicotine pouches, snus, vapes, and heat-not-burn devices.
The "No Smoke, Less Harm" report, developed by International and Local Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) Experts, presents a compelling case for the role of smoke-free and tobacco-free nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, in accelerating harm reduction. The report explores the historical context, scientific basis, and practical benefits of adopting THR strategies, particularly focusing on Sweden's success story.
Historical Perspective and Tobacco Harm Reduction
Since the 1960s, significant efforts have been made to combat tobacco use. Examples of studies include reports from the Royal College of Physicians and the US Surgeon General. Despite these efforts and the establishment of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003, smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death, with 1.1 billion smokers worldwide and nearly 8 million tobacco-related deaths annually.
The concept of THR, introduced by Professor Michael A.H. Russell in 1976, emphasizes that while smokers are addicted to nicotine, it is the combustion products, not nicotine itself, that cause the majority of smoking-related diseases. THR strategies aim to provide safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, thereby reducing harm while acknowledging the difficulty many smokers face in quitting entirely.
Sweden's Success with Smoke-Free Nicotine Products
Sweden stands out as a global leader in THR, having achieved remarkably low smoking rates and tobacco-related disease rates. This success is attributed to the widespread use of smoke-free nicotine products such as nicotine pouches, snus, vapes, and heat-not-burn devices.
Sixty years ago, nearly half of Swedish men smoked cigarettes. Today, thanks to the adoption of safer alternatives, only 5.6% of Swedish adults smoke. This transition has led to a significant reduction in tobacco-related deaths and diseases. For instance, Sweden's cancer incidence is 41% lower than the European average, and the country experiences less than half the tobacco-related deaths compared to most of its EU neighbors.
Key Insights and Benefits of Tobacco Harm Reduction
- Nicotine Misperceptions: Despite common misconceptions, nicotine does not cause cancer and has minimal contribution to tobacco-related diseases. Educating both the public and healthcare professionals about this can reduce stigma and promote safer alternatives like nicotine pouches.
- Societal and Individual Benefit: THR provides substantial benefits, including reduced tobacco-related diseases, lower healthcare costs, and improved quality of life. On an individual level, THR can significantly aid smoking cessation efforts by offering less harmful nicotine consumption methods, such as nicotine pouches.
- Global Impact: Modeling studies indicate that adopting THR strategies globally could save millions of lives. For example, widespread use of nicotine pouches and other smoke-free products could prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in countries like the USA, South Africa, and Bangladesh.
The "No Smoke, Less Harm" report underscores the potential of smoke-free and tobacco-free nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, to revolutionize tobacco control. Sweden's success story serves as a powerful example of how adopting THR strategies can lead to substantial public health benefits, reducing the global burden of tobacco-related diseases and saving millions of lives. Embracing these alternatives on a global scale could mark a significant turning point in the fight against smoking-related harm.
The organization behind the report
Health Diplomats is a global network of public health experts dedicated to developing and delivering solutions to global health-related issues. The organization brings together a diverse team of policy experts, scientists, strategists, advocates, health practitioners, researchers, and health communicators. They are committed to advancing science and innovative approaches to public health challenges, improving access to affordable healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, and empowering individuals in various health domains.
Health Diplomats operates across more than 100 countries, working with over 40 partners to deliver impactful health solutions. They utilize a flexible organizational structure to address diverse health challenges, employing a mix of core executives, a global network of health diplomats, and customized project teams as needed
- Read more about Health Diplomats and their work for harm reduction
- Read more on about Sweden's work to become smoke free at Smoke Free Sweden
About Nico&Pouch
We are based in what we call the capital of nicotine pouches – Stockholm, Sweden in the vicinity of manufacturers and brands such as Swedish Match (ZYN, Swave and Volt), Another Snus Factory (LOOP) and Kelly White. As Swedes, we are quite proud of this small but great innovation that has helped thousands of people of quit smoking.
Tried and tested
Like many other Swedes, our history with nicotine pouches goes a long way back. In fact, it began long before the nicotine pouch even was invented. Then the product we used was called snus. Like the nicotine pouch, snus has a lot of nicotine in it, but is based on tobacco and therefore may not be sold outside of Sweden and Norway. But in 2014 the nicotine pouch was launched. The nicotine pouches proved to have many advantages over the traditional snus – no stains on the teeth and no bad breath to name a few. We, like many others, decided to give up snus and switch to nicotine pouches. So, over the years we at Nico&Pouch have learned a thing or two about snus and nicotine pouches. The selection of pouches we sell have all been tried by us.
With Nico & Pouch, we want to support the growing interest in all-white nicotine pouches in Europe. We have aimed to create a site that should be easy to use and to find your favorite product. We have a secure payment system that guarantees safe payments, and we use UPS for all our European shipments. All in all, we want to offer a secure and convenient way for you to shop nicotine pouches, wherever you are in Europe.
We also try to answer the most common questions about nicotine pouches in our chat and FAQ page. If you have any questions regarding our products, payments or shipments, you can use the contact details below and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Whether you use our products as a way to quit smoking, or for pure enjoyment, we hope you’ll enjoy our products as much as we do.
