The Public Health Agency of Sweden and other investigating bodies must clearly report relative risks between different nicotine products. This has become clear since the Swedish Minister for Social Affairs, Jakob Forssmed (kd), amended and clarified the mandate to investigate the harmful effects of nicotine use in Sweden.
The government and Minister of Social Affairs Jacob Forssmed now clarify the importance of highlighting relative risks between different nicotine products in the study preceding the next ANDTS strategy. The announcement came after MP Helena Lindahl (c) called on the Minister for Social Affairs to review the mandate given to the Public Health Agency. The inquiry, which was set up by the previous government, was only supposed to report on the risks and harmful effects of different nicotine products, without comparing them.
"The current investigation would only confirm what we already know and not lead to a change in tobacco policy objectives. Currently, the goal of Swedish tobacco policy is to reduce all tobacco consumption. The Swedish Parliament decided in 2021 to change that target. We believe that a more reasonable goal is to reduce the harm caused by consumption." writes Helena Lindahl i a question to the Minister for Social Affairs in Parliament.
Already known data
Helena Lindahl also stressed the importance of an evidence-based assessment of relative risks. She argues that this is not only a prerequisite for a change in tobacco policy. but also valuable for smokers to know.
"The harmful effects of various tobacco and nicotine products are already well documented and known. For an existing smoker (who is likely to be aware of the health hazards of smoking), the interest may obviously lie in quitting smoking, but the relative health benefit may also lie in switching to a less harmful nicotine product", writes Helena Lindahl.
Changing the mission - clearer perspective
Minister of Social Affairs Jacob Forssmed has now reacted and given new directives to the authorities responsible for investigating the case. At the latest on June 30, 2023 the Ministry of Social Affairs wants to know what differences in the harms and risks associated with the use of different nicotine products. At the same time, the Minister of Social Affairs wants to clarify the importance of a harm-minimization perspective in the investigation.
"The Government has decided to change the assignment to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, the National Board of Health and Welfare and the National Institute for Health and Welfare to compile and make available knowledge about the harmful effects of various tobacco and nicotine products. The change means that the authorities must provide a description of the harmful effects of different products in relation to each other based on knowledge that rests on a scientific basis" writes Jakob Forssmed in its reply to Helena Lindahl.
Similar investigations in other countries
Similar studies have already been conducted in other countries. The most comprehensive one was carried out in the United Kingdom, where the Public Health Agency has been actively working on harm reduction for smokers for 10 years. Authorities in New Zealand are also using harm reduction to reduce the risks of cigarette smoking in the country. In both cases, e-cigarettes have been the main tool for harm reduction. In the Swedish study, in addition to e-cigarettes, snus and nicotine pouches will be included in the compilation.
Different views on nicotine products
The Swedish investigation was preceded by a intense debate in parliament on the Social Democratic government's 5-year strategy to tackle the use of alcohol, drugs, doping, tobacco and gambling, collectively known as ANDTS. The S government did not want to make a distinction between different nicotine products, but had the goal of reducing the use of all these products. This was not liked by a majority in the Riksdag, which argued that the use of snus and e-cigarettes, for example, does not have the same harmful effects as smoking and should therefore not be equated.
The role of the Public Health Agency
The Public Health Agency of Sweden, which is one of three bodies responsible for investigating the risks of various nicotine products, annually pays out SEK 6 million to organizations that openly want to counter the spread of the products.
