What a masterclass in modern spin:<p>1: Take a problem, in this case tobacco consumption<p>2: Isolate a part of it, ideally a the part that is most visible and/or easiest to go after. As others have mentioned, Sweden has a large culture of non-smoked tobacco consumption<p>3: Define an easily achieved win condition, brand it as complete success. In this case "smoke-free" means under 1 in 20 Swedes smoke<p>4: Get your buddies in the press to publish breathless articles on your 'Incredible' milestone<p>5 (ideally optional): If anyone ever tries to hold you accountable, double down.
To be entirely fair, a whole country switching from smoking to safer oral nicotine is a massive health win. The bad things in cigarettes are mostly not nicotine.
To be clear they commonly use snus which is tobacco product, not just nicotine pouch. It shares many of the health issues associated with smoking tobacco and also has it's own ones (e.g. related to gum health).
Also - less passive smoking!<p>Personally, I don't mind somebody consuming snus short distance upwind from me. Smoking, on the other hand... Please, don't.
Next one! ....Norwegians and the global climate benefits of Electric cars :-))
> If anyone ever tries to hold you accountable, double down.<p>Basically the entire policy of the current US administration summed up in a sentence lol
Last time I went there I saw a founder that couldn’t do an interview without changing zyn pouches every literal five (5) minutes
> Smoke-free<p>> Less than 5%<p>Incredible milestone but when 1 in 20 is still smoking I feel like it's a bit early to call yourself smoke free.
As a child in the 1970s I visited family there and my memory is that it seemed like <i>every</i> adult and older teen smoked. Often filterless. So it's quite a change in a few decades.
Yeah... I live here, and I would definitely not call us smoke free. But it's gotten better.
If 1 in 20 is smoke free, I’m declaring the 1 in 10 rate in the us as ALMOST smoke free.
Correction. Only 5% admit to smoking
Sweden is unusual in that it has a culture of using <i>snus</i>, a non-smoking tobacco preparation, and in fact it is unique among the EU member states in having it actually be legal (it's banned EU-wide, but Sweden got an opt-out in the accession negotiations). Neighbouring Norway also has legal snus but Norway isn't a full EU member.<p>This probably contributes to the low smoking rates, but it also means that Swedish politicians love acting like the tobacco industry is their best friend,[1][2] because it's in the national interest to protect this uniquely Swedish tradition or whatever. And recently, the so-called white snus (Swedicism; English name is nicotine pouches, only Sweden considers this a kind of snus) like ZYN is a way for the Swedish tobacco industry to get a new generation of young people hooked in nicotine, interestingly including ones <i>outside</i> Sweden.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/regeringen-presenterade-tobakslobbyns-argument-som-fakta" rel="nofollow">https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/regeringen-presenterade-t...</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenskar-i-eu-pratar-flitigast-med-tobakslobbyn" rel="nofollow">https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenskar-i-eu-pratar-flit...</a>
Here's a free, fact-packed, breakdown on both smoking and "snus" in Sweden: <a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/living-conditions-and-lifestyle/andtg/tobacco/use-of-tobacco-and-nicotine-products/" rel="nofollow">https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency...</a><p>Numbers are from 2024, but smoking was at 5.4%, and snus at 15.7%.
Yes, the whole thing is remarkably awful. Disgusting too.
We will not tolerate snus slander here! long live swedish match
As I Swede snus can suck it.
I will openly hate on Swedish snusers until they stop littering their pouches and cakes every-damn-where. Some of those guys even throw it onto indoor ceilings. It’s disgusting.
I wonder what their next moral/health/social/environmental crusade will be. Governments have made vast sums out of tobacco duty, so what do they need to make up for that?