Fight against tobacco intensifies in Finland

Finland is looking to tighten smoking regulations in the coming years. On Monday, April 26, a proposed law was unveiled, in line with Finland's goal of virtually eliminating tobacco and nicotine consumption by 2030.[1].

According to the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the bill, if accepted, is expected to strengthen the law on smoking in outdoor areas. New smoke-free areas are expected to be established, such as bus stops, public beaches, children's playgrounds and certain types of outdoor terraces. These provisions could come into force in early 2022, with a two-year deadline for implementation. In addition, the bill aims to introduce plain packaging by 2023.[2].

Finland, a pioneer in the fight against smoking

The proposal is in line with the ambitious public health policies that have been pursued in Finland for over forty years. The Scandinavian country has been at the forefront of its smoking regulations.[3] : advertising for tobacco products was banned in 1978, while smoking in the workplace was banned in 1995. Subsequently, other complementary measures were put in place, such as banning smoking in bars and restaurants, or increasing the cost of the license to own a tobacco shop in order to discourage the establishment of new outlets. At the same time, Finland has implemented regular tax increases on tobacco products, while intensifying the policy of support for quitting. All of these measures have led to a significant decline in smoking prevalence: in the early 2000s, almost a quarter of Finns were regular smokers, compared to 11% in 2019.

Effective regulation of other tobacco and nicotine products

The success of public health policies in Finland goes beyond the issue of combustible smoking. Indeed, unlike in Sweden and Norway, snus is not allowed to be sold in Finland. Moreover, this significant decrease in smoking is not offset by an increase in the consumption of e-cigarettes, which remains at a particularly low level. According to the World Health Organization, in 2018, only 1% of Finns reported being regular users.[4]This situation is explained by the implementation of pioneering regulations, such as the ban on sales to minors, the ban on advertising, displays or distance selling, import restrictions, bans on consuming these products in places where smoking is prohibited, or finally the ban on flavors: in Finland, only tobacco flavor is authorized.