Despite the promising figures, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has just announced a proposal that will further tighten restrictions on outdoor smoking, effective January 1st, 2022. These would include places such as bus stops, public beaches, children’s playgrounds and some outdoor terraces becoming completely smoking-free.
Plain packaging
Moreover, in line with regulations set in place by several other countries and European nations, the proposal is also calling for plain packaging regulations. To this effect, brand names and logos would be removed from tobacco packaging, as of the beginning of 2023.
Back in 2010, Finland had announced it aimed to eliminate the use of tobacco products by the end of the year 2040. Following measures enacted under the 2016 Tobacco Control Act, the country was expected to be the first EU member state to achieve this goal and become smoke-free by 2030.
Smokefree Sweden
However, neighbouring Sweden got there first and is known for having reached this status by adopting a harm reduction strategy in favour of a forbidding stance. The country has done this by endorsing the use of snus for smoking cessation.
Throughout the EU, this product is only legal in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and given that its consumption does not require combustion, it is considered an effective harm reduction tool. In fact, snus has not only led to Sweden boasting the lowest smoking rates in Europe, but more importantly also to reporting the lowest rates of lung cancer across the continent.
Read Further: MedicalXpress
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