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Published 2025-10-23
What Sweden’s Smoke-Free Milestone Means for the UK
Sweden is set to make history as Europe’s first smoke-free nation. For the UK and other countries looking to eliminate smoking, what lessons are there to learn from this Nordic country’s pragmatic approach to harm reduction and nicotine alternatives?
Key Takeaways
- Sweden becomes smoke-free October 2025, according to economist David Sundén.
- Cigarette taxes and nicotine alternatives were key to their success.
- Sweden’s unique history with snus was also a key factor.
- The UK should focus on targeted support and evidence-based communication.
- Misinformation surrounding vapes should also be tackled.
Sweden’s Public Health Breakthrough
According to calculations made by the Swedish economist David Sundén, Sweden becomes the first country in Europe, and one of the first in the world, to be classified as smoke-free.
Sweden’s milestone is a public health breakthrough that many countries, including the UK, hope to replicate.
Understanding Sweden’s approach to tobacco harm reduction could help the UK emulate the success of their Nordic neighbour.
To learn more, we spoke to David Sundén, the economist whose calculations estimated the date of Sweden’s smoke-free status, Richard Crosby, Director of Considerate Pouchers UK, and Dr. Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp Group.
“It’s No Coincidence That Sweden Is First”
We spoke to David Sundén about what Sweden’s success story means for other countries.
Haypp: What factors have allowed Sweden to succeed before everyone else?
“Two things. First, we have had relatively high cigarette taxes for a long time. But just as important is the availability of alternatives: snus and, later, nicotine pouches.
People haven’t been forced to choose between quitting altogether or continuing to smoke—they’ve had a third, less harmful alternative. That combination has proven to be highly successful.”
"If the entire EU had followed Sweden’s model, 217,000 lives could be saved each year."
Sundén believes that Sweden’s approach could be a blueprint for Europe.
“Bans and finger-pointing are not effective. You have to combine higher cigarette prices with offering less harmful alternatives. If the entire EU had followed Sweden’s model, 217,000 lives could be saved each year.”
Can the UK Follow Sweden’s Smoke-Free Example?
Having explored how Sweden achieved its success, what lessons can the UK take from this model? We spoke to Richard Crosby, the UK Director of Considerate Pouchers, to explore this question.
Considerate Pouchers is an advocacy group that promotes the responsible sale and understanding of nicotine pouches as smoking alternatives.
Haypp: Richard, what are your thoughts on Sweden’s success?
“What’s happening is great. Getting close to that 5% target is about making nicotine alternatives available, affordable, safe, regulated, and produced to a high standard.”
However, Richard cautions that Sweden’s model does not necessarily transfer neatly to the UK.
“We do need to be careful when comparing ourselves to Sweden. Sweden’s longer history with snus is what’s allowed them to take this approach.
In the UK, we have a cultural legacy of cigarette use. There’s no shared history in our country around oral tobacco or nicotine use.”
What can UK policymakers do to encourage nicotine pouches and vapes in the conversation around harm reduction?
“Policymakers and manufacturers can use flavours as one of the levers to entice customers—if they’re careful. We need to make sure that nicotine pouches are available in a sensible manner, because we don’t want young people to be exposed inadvertently.”
“They also have to explain how to use them. Because nicotine pouches aren’t visible, there’s no self-promoting effect as with vapes, which are massively self-advertising.”
Standardisation, too, should also play a role, Richard says.
“There needs to be a standardisation in how we talk about nicotine pouches and their strengths. For example, you can buy ‘Strong’ nicotine pouches from five different brands and get five different strengths.
By standardising this, it becomes less confusing for consumers. If you’re a former smoker who smoked 20 a day, how many pouches do you need for a similar effect?”
"We do need to be careful when comparing ourselves to Sweden. Sweden’s longer history with snus is what’s allowed them to take this approach."
Several European countries have introduced restrictions on nicotine pouches, such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Do you see the UK going in a similar direction?
“I’m not worried about it in the UK. France and Germany seem to be kneejerk reactions to a new product. There doesn't seem to be a similar reaction in this country, given the speed with which things are being done.
With that said, the longer we are in the realm of no legislation, the greater the risk of a kneejerk reaction.”
How the UK Can Achieve Smoke-Free Sooner
The UK is currently projected to become smoke-free in 2033–a full eight years after Sweden. Dr. Marina Murphy offers her perspective on what the UK needs to quicken the pace.
“In recent years, the UK has led the world in tobacco control — with record quit rates, millions of smokers switching to less harmful alternatives, and some of the strongest public health policies anywhere.
Yet progress is stalling, not least because smoking rates remain stubbornly high in the most disadvantaged communities.”
"We must correct widespread misinformation. Too many smokers wrongly believe that vaping is as harmful as smoking,"
For Marina, clear support and evidence-based communication that tackles misinformation are key to moving forward.
"We must correct widespread misinformation. Too many smokers wrongly believe, for example, that vaping is as harmful as smoking, keeping them trapped in a deadly habit.
A united, fact-based public health message — combining strong tobacco control, support to quit, and clear communication about safer alternatives — can close the inequality gap and bring a smoke-free UK within reach sooner.”
Looking Forward: A New Chapter in Global Health
Sweden’s smoke-free milestone is a clear indication of how pragmatic harm reduction can save lives.
For the UK, the path forward lies in adopting similar principles. By combining access to safer nicotine alternatives with clear, evidence-based communication and continued public health commitment, a smoke-free future may be within reach sooner rather than later.
