Sweden hits smoke-free goal of under 5% daily smokers: report

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Stockholm: Sweden has officially achieved its historic goal of becoming a smoke-free nation, with daily cigarette smoking rates plunging below the five percent threshold.

According to the newly released annual report from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), daily cigarette use has hit a historic low of 4.8 percent. This milestone places the country decades ahead of the European Union's broader target.

The dramatic drop marks a massive shift from 2003, when 16 percent of the population smoked cigarettes daily.

While a previous report by Sweden's Public Health Agency recorded the rate at 5.4 percent, the latest data confirm that the sub-5 percent goal has been successfully breached.

However, the report notes that overall nicotine use remains at 24 percent due to alternative products like vapes and oral snus. Snus use among women has seen the sharpest increase, rising from 4% to 14%. Public health officials emphasize that while the decline in smoking lowers lung disease risks, the health impacts of alternative nicotine items still require further study.