Pakistan Must Follow Sweden’s Lead to Reduce Smoking Deaths

A newly released report, Tale of Two Nations: Pakistan vs. Sweden, warns that Pakistan risks missing a crucial opportunity to combat its smoking crisis, which claims 164,000 lives annually. The report, authored by global harm reduction expert Dr. Delon Human, contrasts Pakistan’s traditional tobacco control approach with Sweden’s harm reduction model, which has driven smoking rates below 5%.

Sweden’s success is attributed to integrating safer nicotine alternatives—such as snus, nicotine pouches, and vaping—into public health policies. In contrast, Pakistan’s restrictive stance on these alternatives has kept smoking prevalence among men at 22.2%, more than four times higher than Sweden’s 4.9%.

The report calls on Pakistani policymakers to adopt Sweden’s harm reduction strategies by:

Establishing clear regulations for nicotine pouches and vaping products.
Educating the public and healthcare professionals on the reduced risks of smoke-free alternatives.
Implementing tax policies that incentivize safer nicotine products over cigarettes.
Enforcing strict age restrictions to prevent youth uptake.

Dr. Human emphasizes that Pakistan can no longer ignore global evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction. Adopting Sweden’s approach could save thousands of lives and significantly reduce smoking-related diseases in the country.

Read the Full Report