| Swedish experience Sweden has the lowest tobacco-related mortality in the developed world and approximately half of the tobacco-related mortality compared with the rest of Europe. The most important explanation for this is the record low prevalence of smoking among Swedish men. However, the level of tobacco consumption among Swedish men follows the consumption levels for other males in the world, especially in Western Europe. The main difference is the type of tobacco used. This paradox is often referred to as the "Swedish Experience". The consumption of Swedish smokefree tobacco products (called Swedish snus) has a very long tradition in Sweden; it has been consumed for more than 200 years. Swedish snus is a fine-ground smokefree tobacco product that is placed behind the upper lip and gum.
Today more than 20 % of adult males use snus and approx. 50 % of the consumers are ex-smokers. It cannot seriously be disputed that the availability of Swedish snus and the consumer acceptance of Swedish snus as an alternative to cigarettes has substantially contributed to Swedish males having a record low smoking rate. Neither can its most favourable determined consequence be disputed, that Swedish males have a record low risk of dying from a tobacco related disease. The Swedish example demonstrates the constructive role products like Swedish snus can play in a pragmatic harm reduction strategy to cut down cigarette smoking by means of offering smokers a viable alternative to cigarettes. læs mere på link |
Den vigtigste forklaring på dette er rekordlav forekomsten af rygning blandt svenske mænd. Men omfanget af tobaksforbruget blandt svenske mænd følger forbrugsniveauer for andre mænd i verden, især i Vesteuropa. Den væsentligste forskel er den type tobak anvendes. Dette paradoks er ofte omtalt som "de svenske erfaringer".
Det kan ikke seriøst herske tvivl om, at udbuddet af svensk snus og forbrugernes accept af svensk snus som et alternativ til cigaretter, har bidraget væsentligt til den svenske mænd, der har en rekordlav rygning sats. Kan heller ikke den mest gunstige bestemmes konsekvens bestrides, at svenske mænd har en rekord lav risiko for at dø af en tobaks-relaterede sygdomme, i forhold til dem der bruger ikke røgfri tobak. |
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»Generelt findes der ikke nogen sunde tobaksprodukter. Når der er tobak i et produkt, er det per definition også sundhedsskadeligt. Men når det er sagt, er risikoen for at blive syg af røgfri tobak noget mindre sammenlignet med rygning«, siger Jørgen Falk, konsulent i Sundhedsstyrelsens Center for Forebyggelse. |