The voices of users are often missing from the debate on nicotine and harm reduction.
Why is this the case?
That's what the magazine Offentliga affärer, Snusarnas riksförbund and the magazine Vejpkollen are asking. They are now jointly organizing a discussion on the user perspective on nicotine, during the policy week in Almedalen.
Fewer people smoke cigarettes in Sweden and only 5.6 percent are now so-called 'daily smokers'. At the same time, the use of white snus and e-cigarettes. Opinions differ on whether this is a good or bad thing.
Proponents of harm reduction argue that the availability of the products are essential aids that have helped reduce smoking and should therefore be regulated more lightly than cigarettes.
Opponents, mainly from the political left and organizations advocating far-reaching bans combined with nicotine medicines to reduce smoking - argues that harm reduction only benefits the tobacco industry.
Users made invisible
- How politicians deal with this issue is crucial for nicotine consumption in Sweden. It is a matter of choice. No one thinks that nicotine use is good by definition, but it is also a popular drug that almost two million Swedes use every day. The problem is that 500,000 Swedes still choose to smoke to get the nicotine and that those who use snus and e-cigarettes instead have long been invisible in the debate." says Stefan Mathisson, journalist and editor-in-chief of Vejpkollen who, together with National Snus Association wants to highlight users' views on nicotine in Sweden.
"Harm reduction in nicotine policy"
Samuel Lundell is chairman of the relatively new consumer organization National Snus Association.
- "We are a consumer organization for snus users and we push the issues that our members think are important. These include the abolition of the snus tax and the removal of the export ban within the EU. But it is also that "harm minimization" should be the principle of Swedish nicotine policy, says Samuel Lundell.
According to Samuel Lundell, it is deeply problematic that users themselves are never given a voice when new laws and regulations on nicotine are discussed.
- Politicians are supposed to represent the people and should reasonably listen more to users on these issues. Nicotine users are rarely or never heard, and we want to change that with this discussion in Almedalen," says Samuel Lundell.
Going against the party line
Samuel Lundell is also a Social Democrat politician in his home town of Götene. His own views on the issue of nicotine are not in line with the party line. On the contrary, S has gone hard at work on damage minimization and, among other things, wanted to ban virtually all flavorings in e-liquid, as recently as last year.
- But that's kind of the great thing about (s). There are so many different people in the party and we can have just as many different opinions. At the municipal level in Götene, the party is almost completely on the snusers' side," says Samuel Lundell.
Politicians and doctors participate
In addition to Samuel Lundell and Stefan Mathisson Among others, they include Stefan Willers, senior physician and associate professor at Lund University Hospital, moderate member of parliament Jesper Skalberg Karlsson in the panel discussion. The other names are Bengt Hedlund, CEO of Convenience Stores Sweden and Stig-Björn Ljunggren, political editor-in-chief of Sydöstran. The moderator is Staffan Kuylenstierna at The Labyrinth Public Affairs.
- It will probably be more of a discussion than a debate, as I don't think there will be any hard differences," says Samuel Lindell.
"Exciting that snus users are taking the lead"
Vejpkollen's editor-in-chief Stefan Mathisson is also hoping for a fruitful conversation that will bring out the users' perspective.
- We know that this issue affects a great many people in Sweden. Road users have traditionally been the group most politically engaged in the issue of harm reduction. At the same time, we are a small group compared to snus users here in the Nordic countries. It's very exciting that snus users are also taking their place in the debate," says Stefan Mathisson.
Follow the event online from Almedalen:
"The ambition of a smoke-free country - why is the voice of nicotine users missing from the debate?"
Time and place: Thursday, June 29, at 9.00, Strandvägen, H520, "Offentliga Affärers tomt" in Almedalen
Link: About a smoke-free country...
The seminar will show how nicotine affects the body. Nicotine users, who currently use e-cigarettes and white snus, will meet members of parliament and editorial writers to discuss nicotine use in Sweden and why the voice of nicotine users is never heard in the debate.
Participants:
Stefan Willers, Consultant, Associate Professor, Skåne University Hospital Lund
Samuel Lundell, Chairman, Swedish Snus Association
Stefan Mathisson, Editor-in-Chief, Vejpkollen
Bengt Hedlund, CEO, Convenience Stores Sweden
Jesper Skalberg Karlsson, Member of Parliament, M
Stig-Björn Ljunggren, Political Editor-in-Chief, Sydöstran
Staffan Kuylenstierna, Moderator and Senior Consultant, The Labyrinth Public Affairs
Live broadcast: "The ambition of a smoke-free country - why is the voice of nicotine users missing from the debate?"
Indeed, different types of bans have little or nothing to do with the proportion of the population that smokes. Take France and Denmark as examples. In France it is not allowed at all to smoke indoors in cafes and bars and there 25-30% of the population smoke while in Denmark there are some pubs and cafes, those that are 40 square meters or less where you can smoke indoors where only 13-15% of the population smoke. Denmark is one of the countries in Europe that is further down the list in terms of the number of smokers, even though they do not have a total ban on smoking indoors in pubs. The proportion that has switched to vejpning has also been quite large there. Stupid to introduce "taste bans" then.