Argentina retreats from nicotine ban – now comes the real test

International health experts have cautiously welcomed Argentina’s decision to withdraw a blanket ban on smokeless nicotine products – but insist that greater access to these safer alternatives is key to reducing smoking and saving millions of lives.

Argentina’s Ministry of Health has redefined its tobacco and nicotine regime with new rules that signal a shift toward formal regulation rather than outright prohibition.

Dr Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden, said the move marks an important change in direction, but stressed that the real test will be whether adult smokers are given meaningful access to lower-risk products.

“Argentina’s decision to move away from prohibition is a positive step,” he said. “Bans rarely work and often create unintended consequences, including the growth of unregulated markets.

“But access to safer nicotine alternatives is what drives down smoking, and that will be the true test of whether Argentina’s lawmakers are taking the correct path.”

Smoke Free Sweden’s report, Tale of Two Nations: Argentina v Sweden, highlights how Argentina’s smoking rate has begun to edge upwards again, rising from 16.8% in 2018 to 17% in 2023, reversing earlier progress.

Restrictive policies have limited the availability of safer alternatives, leaving many smokers with few viable options beyond cigarettes. This has contributed to persistently higher smoking rates and an annual death toll of more than 30,000 people.

By contrast, Sweden has reduced smoking to just 5.3% – one of the lowest rates in the world – by making smoke-free alternatives such as snus, nicotine pouches and vapes widely available.

Dr Human, former secretary-general of the World Medical Association, said: “Smokers need viable ‘exit routes’ away from cigarettes. Without access to safer alternatives, many simply continue smoking, and that explains why Argentina’s smoking rate is more than three times higher than Sweden’s.

“Regulation should focus on enabling the switch away from deadly cigarettes, not making it harder.”

The Two Nations report shows that Sweden’s harm reduction approach has not only reduced smoking dramatically but also lowered rates of smoking-related disease, including significantly lower lung cancer mortality compared to European averages.

Dr Human said: “Sweden’s success shows what’s possible when the right policies are in place. It should inspire Argentina to build on its recent shift and take the next step, making sure that adult smokers can access safer alternatives, understand the real differences in risk and are encouraged to move away from cigarettes through sensible, balanced regulation.