Why is the Ministry of Social Affairs concealing what it has said and thought about nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes and snus from the European Commission? This is the question asked by Samuel Lundell and the Snusarnas Riskförbund, who have now reported the Ministry to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
"It is a right for us snus users to find out what the Ministry of Social Affairs is saying on the issue. Does the ministry support the government's new line on harm reduction or are they continuing the witch hunt on snus?" wonders Samuel Lundell.
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs was asked for its views on future EU regulation of new nicotine products. It did so by responding to a questionnaire from a consultancy firm working on behalf of the European Commission. The results reports Dagens Nyheter.
But the questionnaire from the Ministry of Social Affairs was never registered. And when the Ministry was asked to provide a copy of the questionnaire, the message was that it had not even been registered. According to information to Daily News the Ministry has also not attended a follow-up meeting, where the consultant wanted to get more in-depth answers about Swedish tobacco policy.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Now Samuel Lundell, chairman of the consumer organization The national ban on snus, reported the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, JO.
"It is certainly in the public interest to know what information the Department of Health and Social Services has shared on this issue, especially as they represent the government. It is also completely unreasonable that they have not even recorded what they have answered." says Samuel Lundell to Vejpkollen.
Want to legislate for risk
Samuel Lundell also points out that the Swedish Parliament has taken a clear position that Swedish nicotine policy should include a harm reduction perspective. This means that legislation on nicotine pouches, snus and e-cigarettes is intended to reflect the relative risks between different forms of nicotine use.
"The Government has been clear that the products are seen as one of several tools to reduce the harm from nicotine use in Sweden." says Samuel Lundell.
No exception for Sweden
According to several unconfirmed reports, the European Commission, supported by the report of the same consultancy that contacted the Ministry of Social Affairs, will propose comprehensive measures to restrict access to nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes In the worst case, this could mean a ban on oral nicotine products, following the same model as for Swedish snus. The difference will be that the ban will also apply in Sweden, despite the current exemption for snus.
"Snus plays a crucial role in why we have such a low smoking rate in Sweden. Nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes have become popular alternatives to cigarettes, and by extension this means that even fewer people start smoking. This is particularly true among young people and women. The current government, together with a majority in Parliament, has acted on this by, for example, lowering the tax on snus while raising it on cigarettes, and choosing to retain the possibility of flavoring e-cigarettes," says Samuel Lundell.
Concerns a great many Swedes
He is now concerned that the Ministry of Social Affairs has not expressed the views of elected representatives on the issue.
"It's impossible to know, because for some reason they didn't want to be open about it. That's why I filed a complaint. This is an issue that concerns a large part of the Swedish population. We have a right to know whether the Ministry is really following the line decided by the Riksdag, or whether there is a different view among the officials. It's quite simple really and is basically a matter of democracy" says Samuel Lundell to Vejpkollen.
Facts: The debate on smoke-free nicotine.
- E-cigarettes have been on the market for 20 years. Nicotine pouches with very low nicotine levels have been regulated as medicines since the early 2000s. The modern nicotine pouch, with higher nicotine levels were launched when the EU started regulating nicotine-containing e-liquids as regular consumer products (with a maximum limit of 20 mg nicotine per milliliter).
- E-cigarettes, snus and nicotine pouches are a charged issue in science. Nevertheless, there is currently a consensus in international research, including summaries from British Royal College of Physicians, that smokeless nicotine products cause a fraction of the harm that smoking is proven to cause. However, it is argued that, with the exception of snus use in Sweden, there is a natural lack of long-term epidemiological studies to support this.
- Swedish politicians have divided opinions on snus (and later the role of nicotine pouches) in relation to Sweden's low smoking rate. At present, a majority in the Riksdag (including the parties that formed the government in 2022) support a principle of harm minimization. The government wants snus and other smokeless nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, to be regulated differently from smoking tobacco.
- Recently, the government announced that tax on snus to be reducedand that the reduction will be financed by an increase in taxes on cigarettes. Nicotine pouches are regulated at the same way as e-cigarettes, with taxation, age limits and restrictions on marketing.
- Swedish the public health authority for its part, aligns itself with the opposition, and believes that snus and vejp products should be regulated in the same way as cigarettes. The Public Health Agency has, among other things, pushed the issue of taste bans for e-cigarettes, a proposal put forward by the previous social democratic government, but which was voted down in Parliament. The Public Health Agency also funds several lobby organizations which, like the Agency, wants to see tougher legislation for new nicotine products.
