Richard Crosby 30 September 2025

 

On the 18th of September, Smoke Free Sweden published a new report titled The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures. Now usually I take advocacy reports like this with a pinch of salt – they can sometimes lean more towards campaigning than balanced analysis – but in this case, the substance lines up with arguments I’ve often made myself.

Sweden as the Case Study

The report sets out Sweden as the model. Daily smoking there is down to just over 5%, and the health stats speak for themselves:

  • Men have around 60% lower lung cancer rates than the EU average.
  • Cancer deaths overall are a third lower.
  • Switching to smokeless alternatives like snus brings big reductions in cardiovascular risk.
  • In total, they claim Sweden’s approach is saving about 3,000 lives every year.

It’s not just Sweden either. Japan’s drop in cigarette sales through heated tobacco, New Zealand’s smoking decline through vaping, and the UK’s own use of e-cigarettes in quit services all get a mention. The thread is simple: when safer alternatives are available, smoking goes down – and so does smoking-related disease.

Inside a Swedish pharmacy, nicotine pouches on display near smoking cessation products at the counter.

The Warning Sign

What makes the report more than just a set of nice numbers is its warning. It highlights that changes to EU tax rules could push up the price of nicotine pouches in Sweden by 700%. Make them unaffordable and you risk undoing all the progress.

What’s Missing

Like many of these reports, the framing is all upside. You don’t find much about risks or youth access, or how different markets might need different approaches. And there’s still that awkward blurring between snus (tobacco, banned in the UK) and pouches (tobacco-free). Sorry – I always bang on about this but I find the distinction important, especially as snus is unavailable to most.

My Take

Still, I think the central point stands. Sweden is living proof that harm reduction works. If you make safer products accessible and acceptable, smoking rates fall and lives are saved. The UK should take note.

What we need alongside that is the regulation to match: age checks, sensible strength limits, quality standards. None of this is radical. It’s just common sense if you want to keep these products available for adults while protecting young people. The one thing I’d add is that nicotine pouch manufacturers need to be careful to avoid the issues vaping has faced – this means not marketing them in a way that invites criticism of youth targeting.