A Smoke-free Success Story: Challenging the Tobacco Epidemic

Every year, the world sees 8 million tobacco-related deaths and the loss of 200 million life years. Even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) established its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 18 years ago, 1.3 billion people still use tobacco, with tobacco demand declining too slowly (or not at all in some low- and middle-income countries).

At present, global health’s goal of a smoke-free world by 2040 is unreachable. Sweden is the exception to this discouraging fact. With its adult smoking prevalence of 5.6%, Sweden is the only country about to achieve the 5% (or less) prevalence required to classify as smoke free.

Sweden’s success in reducing smoking rates is undeniable: its smoking prevalence is nearly five times lower than the European Union (EU) average of 23%. By studying and replicating Sweden’s tobacco control and harm reduction strategies, global health can change the future for smokers and save millions of lives globally.

The report Saving Lives Like Sweden examines Sweden’s tobacco control and harm reduction strategies, comparing them to the tobacco control performance of the EU and selected countries.

It examines smoke free as a tobacco control objective as well as the current methods countries employ to reach this goal. The report analyses current simulation modelling frameworks and their application in various countries.

Saving Lives Like Sweden paints a picture of Sweden’s approach to tobacco harm reduction and reduced smoking prevalence through facts, analyses and calculations on Sweden’s total deaths, disability-adjusted life years averted, and life years saved. Unfortunately, outdated WHO data on tobacco-attributable deaths required assumptions to estimate key health metrics in Sweden and make comparisons with other countries.

The report thus invites critique of methodology and encourages debate and the development of more accurate databases and methods. It also calls on the WHO and global public health to study Sweden’s harm reduction strategies and develop epidemiologically sound methods to calculate the ‘size of the prize’ for public health.

Lastly, the report highlights a recent Swedish consumer perception study to show the importance of a whole-of-society approach and a thorough understanding of consumer behavior to successfully address the tobacco epidemic.

For more information on Sweden’s smoke-free success story, see also The Swedish Experience, a Roadmap to a Smoke free World.