Sweden’s Smoke-Free Success: What If “Big Tobacco” Is Right?

Does “Big Tobacco” have the answer?

For years, the idea that a tobacco company could contribute meaningfully to public health policy was met with scepticism. Understandably so. But what if smoking – which many say is one of the world’s most entrenched health challenges—requires solutions from unexpected places? What if tobacco companies are uniquely positioned to help governments achieve a smoke free world?

Sweden’s success didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of three key factors: awareness, availability, and progressive regulation. Swedish consumers are informed about alternatives. Products like snus and nicotine pouches are widely available. And crucially, regulation supported harm reduction outcomes by making cigarettes relatively more expensive, while allowing a range of flavours and nicotine strengths in smokeless products.

The results speak for themselves:

• Sweden’s male lung cancer death rate is 61% lower than the EU average.
• Deaths from all tobacco-related diseases are nearly 40% lower.
• Smoking-related mortality is among the lowest in the world.

These aren’t just statistics. They represent a healthier society. And they raise a provocative question: what if the path to a smokeless world doesn’t lie in prohibition, but in pragmatic, science-led alternatives?

Twenty-five years ago, we were a traditional tobacco company. Cigarettes weren’t just our main product; they were our product. Today, we are a multi-category business. In Sweden, over 80% of our revenue now comes from our smokeless products. We’ve invested over £50 million in our Malmö factory, tripled our workforce, and scaled pouch production by 700%. Our flagship brand, Velo, born in Sweden, is now the number one oral nicotine brand in the country.

This transformation didn’t happen overnight. It took investment, innovation, and a willingness to challenge our own legacy. But it also took belief—belief that we could be part of the solution. That belief is now embodied in our global ambition: to generate more than 50% of our revenue from Smokeless Products by 2035.

Omni™ is part of that mission. It is our platform to share science, foster dialogue, and build partnerships that can accelerate the transition to a smokeless world. Because if we are serious about reducing smoking-related disease, we must be serious about the tools that can help us get there. And it’s gaining some traction, in certain of the markets where Omni™ launched, we saw significant shifts in nicotine pouches perception - among medical professionals up to +26% improvement and among policy influencers up to 45% improvement. Globally, awareness of THR among policy influencers improved to 42% in 2025.

Yet most still support regulating smokeless products as strictly as cigarettes. Understanding of nicotine is declining, even among medical professionals. Many remain reluctant to recommend alternatives, and only half discuss them with patients weekly. The data points to a clear disconnect — and a pressing need for regulators and public health to actively bridge the gap between science, policy, and public understanding.

Scepticism about THR is understandable. But the evidence is mounting. New Zealand and the UK are following similar paths, embracing vapour products as regulated alternatives for adult smokers. Their governments have said it clearly: support smokers to switch to products like vaping that are “less harmful than smoking”.

So perhaps it’s time to ask: what if the most effective way to end smoking isn’t to try to extinguish nicotine, but to reimagine it? What if the companies that sell cigarettes can help lead the charge towards making them obsolete?

The stakes are high. With one billion smokers worldwide, the opportunity for public health is enormous. But it requires bold thinking, open minds, and a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions.

Sweden has shown what’s possible when Tobacco Harm Reduction is embraced. BAT has shown how a company can transform in response. And now, the world has a choice.

What if “Big Tobacco” is right about the role smokeless products can play in making smoking obsolete?

It’s a question worth asking. And the answer could change the world.