Washington, D.C. The Tholos Foundation, together with Japan’s Pacific Alliance Institute and Sweden’s Scantech Strategy Advisors, today released the policy paper “Safer Nicotine Technologies”, which examines how Sweden and Japan are successfully reducing smoking rates through the introduction of safer alternative nicotine products.
“Safer Nicotine Technologies” explores the impact of oral nicotine and heated tobacco products on smoking prevalence in countries such as Sweden and Japan, where smoking rates among men once reached 84%. This work follows the previous report “Vaping Works”, which examined the experience of four innovative countries and found that in countries that adopted vaping — the United Kingdom, France, Canada and New Zealand — smoking prevalence declined twice as fast as the global average.
The new findings were also striking in Japan, where the introduction of heated tobacco products led to smoking rates among men falling below 30% for the first time in history and reversed stagnation in the fight against smoking.
Sweden is expected to officially become smoke-free within the year, as the country’s smoking rate currently stands at just over 5.6%. The recent decline in smoking has been linked to the growing popularity of nicotine pouches, which were introduced in 2019.
Most importantly, the Tholos Foundation study showed that in both countries the shift to safer alternatives was driven by consumers themselves. The most important thing policymakers could do was to ensure that safer alternatives remained accessible and viable. It is clear, and supported by extensive evidence, that safer nicotine plays an important role in helping people quit smoking. We see that when safer nicotine products such as vaping, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches and snus are used, smoking prevalence declines several times faster.
Commenting on the findings, Tholos Foundation Vice President Lorenzo Montanari said:
Safer nicotine is literally saving lives around the world. The experience of Sweden and Japan, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and France, proves that when people have access to safer products, they choose them in large numbers. We now have all the tools we need to fight harmful smoking: governments around the world should help their citizens make better choices.
The success of Sweden and Japan in reducing smoking rates demonstrates the effectiveness of comprehensive approaches to tobacco control. Both countries have adopted measures to regulate the use of alternative nicotine products while ensuring public health and safety. Sweden and Japan offer valuable experience for other countries seeking to reduce smoking prevalence and promote alternative options for quitting smoking. By ensuring access to safer alternative nicotine products and adopting appropriate regulations, countries can significantly improve public health and reduce the harmful consequences of smoking.
