Historic day for Sweden, as nation is urged to defend its smoke-free success
STOCKHOLM – Sweden has become the world’s first smoke-free nation, with adult smoking below 5%, according to new data forecasts by Swedish economist David Sundén.
This milestone, reportedly achieved on Saturday October 2025 – 15 years ahead of the EU’s 2040 target – marks one of the greatest public health successes in modern history.
The Smoke Free Sweden movement today celebrates this moment as a triumph of science, policy innovation and common sense, while warning that Brussels must not undermine the Swedish model that has made it possible.
“This is an extraordinary moment for Sweden and for global public health,” said Dr Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden. “By embracing harm reduction and allowing adult smokers to switch to safer alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches and vapes, Sweden has shown the world how to eliminate smoking without coercion or stigma.”
Official health data released in November 2024 by Sweden’s public health agency showed the nation’s overall adult daily smoking rate had fallen to 5.3%. Among Swedish-born adults, that number had dropped to 4.5%, already significantly below the globally recognised benchmark of 5% for smoke-free status. A new health agency survey will be needed to confirm Sundén’s forecasts.
The Swedish approach has saved thousands of lives. Men in Sweden record lung cancer death rates 61% lower than the EU average, and overall cancer mortality is a third lower.
These results, detailed in the Smoke Free Sweden report The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, demonstrate that when people are empowered with safer options, smoking rates collapse and health outcomes soar.
Yet this global success story faces new threats. Leaked proposals from the European Commission would impose punitive new taxes on safer nicotine products, including a 700% increase on nicotine pouches in Sweden.
“Such measures would be a direct attack on Swedish consumers and on one of the most effective harm-reduction models ever created,” warned Dr Human. “Instead of punishing Sweden, the EU should be learning from it. We urge Swedes to defend this success and for Brussels to protect, not reverse, one of the world’s greatest public health victories.”
As governments prepare for the upcoming COP11 tobacco control talks in Geneva, Smoke Free Sweden is calling on policymakers worldwide to recognise that harm reduction works and that Sweden’s smoke-free milestone is a model for others to follow.
“The world should celebrate Sweden’s success,” concluded Dr. Human, a former Secretary-General of the World Medical Association. “Swedes are the proof that innovation and compassion save lives. The next challenge is to ensure that this progress is not undone.”
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