FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Path to a Smoke-Free Future: We Are Innovation Released a Video about Sweden’s and New Zealand’s Success in Combating Smoking
Warsaw, Poland (August 13, 2024) — We Are Innovation released a video about Sweden and New Zealand reducing smoking rates through the consistent use of innovative alternatives. Titled “Smoke-Free Success: Sweden and New Zealand’s Experiences,” it highlights the remarkable comments of global experts, advocates, and policymakers on the critical role of safer nicotine products in decreasing smoking-related deaths and diseases.
Sweden’s pragmatic approach to smoking reduction has been heralded as a global model. Historically, Sweden has had a significant population using Snus, a smokeless tobacco product. This cultural acceptance of the product laid the groundwork for the introduction of oral nicotine pouches, providing smokers with safer alternatives to cigarettes. The results have been extraordinary. According to Dr. Anders Milton, the physician with extensive experience in public service and the former chair of WMA, the current progress of Sweden is the following:
- 17 percent of Swedish men use Snus daily.
- Only 5.6 percent of Swedish men smoke, the lowest rate globally.
- Sweden boasts the lowest incidence of lung cancer in the European Union.
Sweden’s approach, focused on offering safer alternatives, has resulted in the lowest lung cancer rates in the European Union. This success is attributed to the country’s commitment to public health by providing citizens with less harmful alternatives.
In New Zealand, the legalization of vaping has led to a significant decline in smoking rates, dropping from 16 percent to 6.8 percent over eight years. This progress, driven by medical professionals, researchers, and consumer advocates, positions New Zealand to achieve its smoke-free target by 2025.
For instance, Dr. Marewa Glower, a behavioral scientist with over 31 years of experience in public health and over 100 scientific papers from New Zealand, believes that vaping has been transformative. It offers smokers a less harmful option and substantially reduces smoking rates.
In contrast, Australia’s more restrictive policies on vaping have hindered anti-smoking efforts. Critics point out that ideological objections and vested interests have slowed progress, with some groups favoring an abstinence-only approach rather than adopting alternative solutions like vaping. The abstinence-only approach does not work for everyone, and since cigarettes bring in a lot of tax, there are vested interests that benefit from that.
In contrast, New Zealand’s inclusive approach, involving medical professionals, researchers, and consumers, created a more supportive environment for alternative nicotine products. Sweden and New Zealand’s examples demonstrate that prioritizing harm reduction can lead to significant public health benefits.
The examples of Sweden and New Zealand demonstrate that prioritizing innovation in nicotine can lead to significant public health benefits. The message to global policymakers is clear: we must embrace harm reduction strategies to save lives and improve population health.
ENDS
About We Are Innovation
We Are Innovation is a dynamic network of individuals and institutions who fervently believe in the power of innovation to drive progress and solve the world’s most pressing problems. With a global presence encompassing over 40 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs, We Are Innovation represents the diverse voices of a global civil society committed to advancing human creativity, embracing new technologies, and promoting innovative solutions. Through our collaborative approach and cutting-edge expertise, we are spearheading transformative change on a global scale. To learn more about our work, visit us at https://weareinnovation.global/.
