Smoke Free Sweden: Restrictions on Nicotine Pouches Would Deprive Women of Best Tool to Quit Smoking
On International Women’s Day (March 8), UK policymakers are being warned that restricting nicotine pouches could deprive women of an innovation linked to one of the world’s most dramatic declines in female smoking.
The warning accompanies the release of Empowerment in a Pouch, a report showing how access to tobacco-free nicotine pouches has accelerated Sweden’s progress towards becoming smoke-free, particularly among women.
“Sweden’s experience shows what happens when women are given realistic alternatives to smoking,” said Professor Marewa Glover, behavioural scientist and co-author. “When safer options are accessible, women quit in large numbers. If those options are restricted, progress slows and smoking persists.”
The findings carry clear implications for the UK, where the female smoking rate remains almost twice as high as Sweden’s. While Sweden is on track to meet the international definition of a smoke-free society, smoking continues to take a heavy toll on British women, particularly in lower-income groups.
Despite this contrast, nicotine pouches face tight restrictions under the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which experts warn could limit access to lower-risk alternatives for adult smokers.
The report shows that since nicotine pouches became available in Sweden in 2016:
- Women’s smoking rates have fallen by nearly 50%, now among the lowest globally.
- Women’s quit-smoking rates increased around threefold, putting Sweden on track to become the first smoke-free country (adult daily smoking below 5%).
- Female smoking is declining six times faster in Sweden than elsewhere in Europe, according to WHO statistics.
Nicotine pouches contain no tobacco and involve no combustion. Used under the lip, they deliver pharmaceutical-grade nicotine without smoke or vapour. Survey and focus-group research show women value their discretion, convenience and compatibility with work and family life.
Participants rated nicotine pouches as the most effective quitting aid, outperforming vapes and traditional nicotine replacement therapies.
“As Parliament considers the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it must be guided by evidence, not fear,” said Dr Delon Human, co-author and former secretary-general of the World Medical Association. “Treating low-risk nicotine products as cigarettes risks keeping women smoking, with entirely predictable and preventable consequences.”
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“As Parliament considers the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it must be guided by evidence, not fear,” said Dr Delon Human, co-author and former secretary-general of the World Medical Association.
