… but one in five adults are still denied access.
Today, more than 190 million people who smoke1 in over 20 countries—nearly one in five globally—still have no legal access to smoke-free products. Meanwhile, cigarettes, the most harmful way to consume nicotine, remain widely available.
When adults who smoke have access to these better alternatives, progress in public health follows. Just look at the data.
In countries such as Sweden, Japan, and the U.S., where pragmatic policies have allowed access to—and information about—smoke-free products, the impact is clear: Smoking rates are falling faster. Conversely, in many countries that explicitly prohibit smoke-free products—including Thailand, Turkey, and Brazil—smoking rate declines are stubbornly slower.
REAL WORLD IMPACT: SWEDEN
Sweden is on the cusp of going smoke-free, a status achieved when nationwide smoking prevalence reaches five percent or less2. This is largely attributable to the long-running availability of snus as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes, in conjunction with traditional tobacco control measures. More recently, nicotine pouches have also contributed to the decline.
It also has the lowest rate of lung and oral cancer deaths among men in the EU.3
Now: Male death rates from lung and oral cancer are much lower in Sweden compared to other EU countries.
The key difference: Snus is banned in the rest of the EU.
REAL WORLD IMPACT: SWEDEN
Sweden is on the cusp of going smoke-free, a status achieved when nationwide smoking prevalence reaches five percent or less2. This is largely attributable to the long-running availability of snus as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes, in conjunction with traditional tobacco control measures. More recently, nicotine pouches have also contributed to the decline.
It also has the lowest rate of lung and oral cancer deaths among men in the EU.3
Now: Male death rates from lung and oral cancer are much lower in Sweden compared to other EU countries.
The key difference: Snus is banned in the rest of the EU.
REAL WORLD IMPACT:
JAPAN + NEW ZEALAND
In Japan, smoking rates have dropped by half since 2014. That’s not by chance. Commonsense policy and access to smoke-free alternatives helped make it possible. In 2023, smoking prevalence had fallen to 10.8 percent, down from 19.6 percent in 2014, the year heated tobacco products were introduced to the market.
And New Zealand, which has adopted smoke-free products to help adults abandon cigarettes, has also seen smoking rates decline rapidly since 2020.
Now: Cigarette sales are decreasing at accelerating speeds in New Zealand and Japan, while Thailand has seen only a 16 percent decline in its smoking rate over a seven-year period.
The key difference: Since 2014, Thailand has enforced a strict ban on smoke-free products.
REAL WORLD IMPACT:
JAPAN +
NEW ZEALAND
In Japan, smoking rates have dropped by half since 2014. That’s not by chance. Commonsense policy and access to smoke-free alternatives helped make it possible. In 2023, smoking prevalence had fallen to 10.8 percent, down from 19.6 percent in 2014, the year heated tobacco products were introduced to the market.
And New Zealand, which has adopted smoke-free products to help adults abandon cigarettes, has also seen smoking rates decline rapidly since 2020.
Now: Cigarette sales are decreasing at accelerating speeds in New Zealand and Japan, while Thailand has seen only a 16 percent decline in its smoking rate over a seven-year period.
The key difference: Since 2014, Thailand has enforced a strict ban on smoke-free products.
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1 WHO Global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000 – 2030
2 The “smoke-free” status is a target set by many governments around the world, such as New Zealand and the U.K., and Canada.
3 Male standardized lung and oral cancer rate in 2023 (Eurostat)