The Swedish government wants EU regulations on the tobacco, nicotine and alcohol markets to be proportionate and aimed at protecting vulnerable groups from exposure. This was stated when Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg met her colleagues at the EU Council of Ministers for Employment, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Affairs in Luxembourg on Thursday and Friday
The Minister for Health, Acko Ankarberg, and the government believe that the Swedish approach to tobacco policy should be emphasised within the European Union. The issue of harm reduction is central to this - not least because of the Swedish use of smokeless nicotine which is increasingly replacing cigarette smoking in the country.
"In the discussion, the government also intends to emphasise that harm caused by the use of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine should be counteracted," writes the government in a so-called annotated agenda for the Council meeting.
Different from others
However, tobacco and nicotine issues are an area where Sweden differs from many other EU countries. Recently, the government amended the objective of Swedish tobacco policy. The focus has shifted from reducing the use of all tobacco and nicotine to reducing the direct harms of use. This is a subtle change, but crucial in terms of differentiating between smoking and smokeless nicotine in legislation. Many member states do not want to make this distinctionwhereas Sweden is now doing so. In practical terms, this is reflected in the fact that the government wants to use political decisions to steer the public away from smoking and towards non-smoking, via different levels of taxation.
Nicotine taxes affect white snus
In many other EU countries, overall reduction of use remains the dominant approach. This is also evident at EU level, where current plans to harmonise taxes on nicotine products could raise the prices of smokeless nicotine to the same levels as cigarettes. Leaked proposals suggest that the tax on nicotine pouches in Sweden could rise by almost 650% if it goes through.
Minster highlights the role of snus
Some countries also have far-reaching plans to ban nicotine pouches in whole or in part, prompting Swedish ministers to both react and act this spring. According to Mr Dousa, the widespread use of snus has had a direct impact on the sharp decline in smoking in Sweden, especially compared to other EU countries.
"It is good that only 6% of Swedish men, those over 15, smoke. This compares to the EU average of over 22%. Consequently, lung cancer mortality among Swedish men is also less than half the average for EU countries. To the extent that snus replaces smoking, it is positive from a public health perspective." writes Minister for Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (m) in an opinion piece in Dagens Industri.
"Protecting the internal market"
The government has strongly criticised individual countries' policies regarding the approach to both nicotine pouches and products already on the EU market.
"Snus is not a health product, but it is a product that is important to many Swedes. It is also about safeguarding the EU's internal market. Given the state of world trade policy, it is more important than ever to deepen the single market and to facilitate trade between EU Member States." writes Benjamin Dousa.
