Not long ago, we published a piece that covered the airports in the U.S. that still had indoor smoking areas. SPOILER ALERT – there aren’t many of them. And that’s with good reason – besides knowing how dangerous smoking and vaping are (yes, vaping is dangerous too), many fewer Americans smoke. The American Lung Association reports that while roughly 42.4% of adults smoked cigarettes in 1965, that number had dropped to 13.7% by 2018.
We’ve seen the “no smoking allowed” trend continue over the years:
- Seven states ban smoking in all hotels and motel rooms
- The first 100% smoke free hotel in LAS VEGAS, of all places!, opened a couple of years ago
- Smoking on the beach in Mexico can now cost you a huge fine
Europeans have historically smoked more than Americans. Even now, EuroNews reports that the average amount of smokers age 15+ in the entire EU is close to 20%. That average is from Bulgaria, at 28.2%, to one country that is THIS CLOSE to becoming smoke-free.
In contrast to Bulgaria, Sweden has the lowest rate of smoking in the EU – only 6.4% since the last study in 2019, and potentially as low as 5.6% now.
To be considered “smoke free,” a country has to have less than 5% of the population identify themselves as smokers. So Sweden is only 1.4% (or possibly only 0.6%) away from that goal.
Many experts say this low number of smokers is because of decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation. Others suggest it’s because of the prevalence of “snus,” (rhymes with “loose”) a smokeless tobacco product that’s banned in other EU countries but is marketed in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes.
“We were early in restricting smoking in public spaces, first in school playgrounds and after-school centers, and later in restaurants, outdoor cafes and public places such as bus stations,” said Ulrika Årehed, secretary-general of the Swedish Cancer Society. “In parallel, taxes on cigarettes and strict restrictions on the marketing of these products have played an important role.”
Peak tourist season for Sweden runs from mid-June to mid-August (although it’s still busy from May to October). When visiting Sweden, heads up that smoking is prohibited indoors in all public places, shops, restaurants and bars. This includes outdoor balconies of public spaces. Likewise, you’re not allowed to smoke on buses, trains and trams.
And since smoking and drinking alcohol sometimes go together…should you plan to drive in Sweden, heads up that the blood alcohol limit there is very low – just 0.2 per mille. And the police frequently do random alcohol checks. Don’t drink and drive in Sweden. Ever.
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