(Media One) International health experts gathered today to support a major new global effort to replicate the success of Sweden’s campaign to eradicate smoking by taking a comprehensive approach that could prevent the premature deaths of millions of people around the world.
Launched at a conference in Brasilia, “Quit Like Sweden” (QLS) will attract medical experts, politicians and policy makers to motivate and support countries around the world to emulate Sweden’s success story. Sweden is believed to be the first country to achieve official “smoke-free” status later this year.[1]
“Sweden has achieved this extraordinary achievement by providing safer alternatives to smoking that are accessible, acceptable and affordable,” said Suely Castro, founder of QLS and Brazilian-born harm reduction advocate.[2]”He said.
“In Sweden, where 49% of men smoke regularly, we are actually encouraging smokers to switch to lower-risk products such as snus (traditional smokeless tobacco) or other smokeless alternatives such as vaporizers and nicotine pouches,” he said . It[3]”I have decided.
Furthermore, “Swedes are at the forefront of the medical field with significantly lower cancer incidence and mortality rates than Europeans.”[4]. Now “Smoking-Free Like Sweden” plans to expand this message globally by leveraging our expertise and promoting collaboration among stakeholders to help countries replicate Sweden’s experience.”
Castro led international risk reduction experts to join him in launching his new platform. They released new research showing that Brazil could save 1.36 million lives by 2060 by adopting Sweden’s approach.[5]
Previous research has shown that if other countries had adopted Sweden’s comprehensive approach to helping smokers quit, three million more Europeans would be alive today.
Meanwhile, a study of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) found that adopting the Swedish policy would prevent 165,000 premature deaths in Kazakhstan over the next 40 years, compared to 320,000 and 920,000 in South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively. it was found that 1.2 million premature deaths could be prevented.[6]
Dr Anders Milton, co-author of the study, president of the World Medical Association and former director of the Swedish Medical Association, said: “Sweden needs a strong approach to tobacco control that complements traditional smoking prevention and cessation measures . Smoking is overcome through a global approach. “A very important element is to provide smokers with the opportunity to switch to safer alternatives,” he said.
“This should be considered a global public health gem and presents a policy roadmap to consider as a potentially important step forward in combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs),” he said. “This is why QLS is so important. “By spreading the message of the Swedish experience everywhere, we will be able to prevent millions of premature deaths in the next 40 years, including approximately 1.4 million here in Brazil,” she added.
Mr Castro, who lives in London, said his father, who lived in Bahia and smoked all his life, was his motivation for starting QLS.
“Like the other 22 million smokers in Brazil, my father failed to enjoy the lifeline offered to the Swedes,” he said. “This is due to regulatory barriers and social resistance to nicotine alternative products,” he said. “As in Sweden, smoking cessation aims to give individuals here in Brazil and around the world the chance to take back control of their health.”
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