Sweden became the first country in the world to go smoke free.

SWEDEN : Sweden, the fifth largest country in Europe, has become the first country in the world to go smoke free. Sweden officially became the world’s first smoke-free country on November 13. According to the data released by the Swedish Department of Health, 4.5% of people born in the country smoke, which is less than the benchmark set at the global level of 5%. The number of smokers in Europe is 24%, which is 5 times higher than in Sweden. Volunteers working to prevent the harms of smoking say that the secret to Sweden’s success in getting rid of smoking is the government’s excellent policy on safe alternatives to cigarettes. Sweden’s smoke-free initiative is a major development in the public health sector, which demonstrates Sweden’s commitment to implementing positive tobacco control policies, says Dylan Humann, leader of Sweden’s Tobacco Free Association. In the 1960s, more than half of Swedish men smoked, he said. The government enacted regulations to curb the use of nicotine, vape and other tobacco products and to protect public health. “Sweden’s achievement of becoming smoke-free is a ray of hope for the world and an inspiring proof that actionable and enlightened thinking can produce beneficial results in the public health sector,” said Dylan Human.