August 29, 2025
Global Action Community Newsletter
One Nordic country has led the way in using tobacco harm reduction to save lives.
In the last few decades, Sweden has been a trailblazer in creating policies that encourage adults to quit smoking and dissuade those who have never smoked from picking up cigarettes.
Sweden was one of the first countries to enforce smoke-free workplaces in 1993. Five years later, the country launched a national helpline for people trying to quit; it even promoted the number on cigarette packs which also included information about the dangers of smoking.
Since then, Sweden has supported the use of snus and other alternative tobacco and nicotine as a way for people who smoke to quit. Snus is a smokeless tobacco product made through a process that removes most of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes and other forms of non-combustible tobacco. Other forms of reduced-risk nicotine products like nicotine pouches—which contain no tobacco—have also become available in Sweden, as have e-cigarettes.
This is tobacco harm reduction at work. Since 2004, the number of adults who smoke daily in Sweden has fallen from more than 16 percent of the population to around 5 percent. More importantly, key metrics of the country’s public health have improved too: Sweden has among the lowest rates of lung cancer in Europe—of which smoking is a leading cause. By creating an environment where more adults can access alternative nicotine products, Swedish policy is saving lives.
Submit a question on the latest quitting research, and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter.
Another example of tobacco harm reduction at work is the United Kingdom, where public health officials have strongly supported the use of reduced-risk tobacco and nicotine products in cases where individuals cannot or will not quit smoking.
In 2023 the government began offering people who smoke nicotine e-cigarette starter kits paired with behavioral support as part of the national smoking cessation program. The decision to do this was based on research that demonstrated the large reductions in exposure to the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes, and that e-cigarettes have been shown to be an effective tool to help smokers quit.
We know that tobacco harm reduction saves lives, and now we have seen how this strategy can scale to the national level. It is important to highlight these successes and support efforts in more countries to build national programs based on the evidence and compassionate consideration of the needs of people who smoke.
Global Action’s 38 grantees across 41 countries are conducting research that illuminates the many smoking cessation tools available around the world and supporting programs to educate adults who smoke, providers, and other key experts about the public health benefits of tobacco harm reduction. This work complements traditional smoking cessation programs for adults who cannot or otherwise will not quit.
Working together, we can move faster toward a world without the death and disease caused by smoking.
All my best,
Erik Augustson, PhD, MPH, FSBAM
VP of Programs
Global Action to End Smoking
By the Numbers
30-40%
The increased likelihood of people who smoke to develop diabetes.
Smoking increases the risk of developing diabetes, and smoking can lead a person with diabetes to develop serious complications of the condition such as kidney disease and vision problems.
Get to know our grantees
“When we think about a person’s desire to stop smoking, we have to take into account that entire person, putting programs around them… where there are not only people that have the training and understanding about different treatment modalities… but also support so that they feel dignified in their journey.”
—Dr. Keasha Guerrier, Family Medicine Practitioner and Board Member, New York State Academy of Family Physicians
Tobacco and health around the world
Country snapshot: Pakistan
In 2022, an estimated 25.4 million adults in Pakistan were tobacco users. This positions Pakistan 7th globally and 1st in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region in terms of the number of tobacco product users.
● Between 2017-2018, 14.6% of males and 3.4% of females aged 15+ years were current smokeless tobacco users.
● It is estimated that the demand for cigarettes per capita reduced by 28% from 16.7 packs in 2010 to 12 packs in 2022.
● In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 5th highest risk factor driving the most deaths and disability combined in Pakistan.
For references and to view other country profiles, visit our pages on Tobacco and Health Around the World.
Thank you for your support
Global Action is proud to take bold action to find global solutions to end death and disease caused by tobacco, particularly combustible cigarettes. We are one of the only public health groups to embrace tobacco harm reduction as a means of meeting adults who smoke where they are, showing them empathy and respect in their individual cessation journeys, and helping them—if they cannot or will not quit—to reduce their risks of death or disease from combustible cigarettes.
Your support increases the impact our grantees’ work can have on this cause. Together, we can build a future where no one suffers from tobacco-related disease.
Thank you for your support in the fight against smoking.
Get to Know Global Action
Global Action has awarded more than 175 grants to institutions that support the work of over 100 scientists, covering 46 countries on four continents.
Our organization is an independent, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grantmaking organization whose mission is to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death globally. Through September 2023, Global Action received charitable gifts from PMI Global Services Inc. Global Action does not seek or accept funding from companies that produce tobacco or non-medicinal nicotine products.
To learn more about our work, visit our website.
Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this newsletter are for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. No material in this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician or other qualified health care provider. Always seek the advice of your licensed physician or other qualified health care provider regarding a medical condition or with any questions you may have regarding treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read in this newsletter. No physician-patient relationship is created by this newsletter. Global Action doesn’t make representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.