Tobacco Use in Sweden Versus the Rest of the European Union, 2014 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
EU Country | Current Smoking (%) | Former Smoking (%) | Cigarettes Per Day | Ever Tried Oral, Nasal Tobacco (%) |
Sweden | 11 | 35 | 9.9 | 50 |
Finland | 19 | 24 | 13.5 | 14 |
Malta | 20 | 19 | 14.8 | 1 |
Luxembourg | 21 | 22 | 12.8 | 7 |
Italy | 21 | 16 | 13.2 | 3 |
Ireland | 21 | 19 | 13.9 | 5 |
Slovakia | 21 | 16 | 12.5 | 4 |
United Kingdom | 22 | 19 | 14.3 | 4 |
Estonia | 22 | 21 | 11.5 | 10 |
Denmark | 23 | 30 | 13.3 | 13 |
Netherlands | 23 | 31 | 11.4 | 4 |
Belgium | 25 | 19 | 14.1 | 5 |
Portugal | 25 | 12 | 14.9 | 2 |
Czech Republic | 25 | 18 | 14.3 | 9 |
Lithuania | 26 | 18 | 12.1 | 5 |
Austria | 26 | 17 | 19.8 | 10 |
Germany | 27 | 22 | 15.3 | 9 |
Romania | 27 | 13 | 14.2 | 1 |
Poland | 28 | 15 | 15.6 | 5 |
Spain | 29 | 19 | 13.7 | 2 |
Slovenia | 30 | 18 | 16.5 | 6 |
Latvia | 30 | 21 | 12.7 | 8 |
Hungary | 30 | 11 | 16.1 | 3 |
Cyprus | 31 | 15 | 19.5 | 2 |
France | 32 | 22 | 13.0 | 4 |
Croatia | 33 | 16 | 16.7 | 3 |
Bulgaria | 35 | 16 | 15.6 | 2 |
Greece | 38 | 21 | 19.5 | 1 |
EU | 26 | 20 | 14.4 | 5 |
Intriguing numbers are also supplied from Finland. That nation has the second-lowest smoking rate (19 percent) and the second-highest proportion of residents who have ever used smokeless tobacco (14 percent). It is widely known that snus use remains popular in Finland. In fact, snus importation increased last year, even though the product officially has been prohibited since Finland joined the EU in 1995. Research shows Finnish smoking rates would have declined even more if snus sales had not been banned.
Some suggest that would have no appeal outside of Sweden, but the product is clearly popular in Finland and in Denmark. Last year, the EU sued Denmark for permitting snus sales. Also popular among Danes is a chewing tobacco product, Oliver Twist, another effective cigarette substitute and one that is legal in the EU. The Eurobarometer numbers show that snus could work in Austria, Estonia and several other countries that have populations with smokeless tobacco experience.
Keep in mind that the differences in snus and smoking rates noted here would have been even more impressive if Eurobarometer had separately reported men’s and women’s numbers. The snus experience has primarily affected smoking rates among Swedish men, although snus use also has been linked to smoking cessation in Swedish women.
The EU should take its head out of the sand and dissolve its unhealthy snus ban.