Hungary records the highest number of deaths from smoking, experts: To follow the example of Sweden
2024-07-24 14:28:10
TiranaPost
While Hungarians smoke cigarettes, Swedes use alternative products. They have the advantage that they do not have to go out on the balcony, outside the restaurant or far from the bus stop. The health impact is also great according to him.
Hungary is one of the countries with the highest death toll from smoking. This is what the associate professor and Swedish researcher of tobacco and nicotine, Karl-Olav Fagerström, said in an interview held for "Index" newspaper.
The researcher noted that Hungarians could take the Swedish example, as they have long since switched from smoking to alternative products containing nicotine.
Cigarette smoke carries nicotine to the lungs in one second, to the heart in two to three seconds, and to the brain ten seconds later. The faster the effect, the stronger the addiction will be, stressed Fagerström. The opposite happens with alternative products, where nicotine takes at least an hour to reach the brain.
The Swedish expert, who has been praised by the WHO for his work against smoking, dwelt in more detail on the case of Hungary. About 27% of the Hungarian population smokes, which is seen with concern as half of smokers have fatal consequences due to smoking.
The opposite happens in Sweden, from where it is noted that only 5.6% of the population still consumes regular cigarettes and therefore has the lowest number of deaths due to smoking in the European Union.
Fagerström even adds an interesting detail about the Swedes. In most bars and restaurants, you can no longer even find an ashtray to shake your cigarette. This does not mean that the Swedes have completely given up nicotine. The rate of nicotine consumption in Sweden is 23.6%, almost the same as the EU average (24.9%).
The expert says that while Hungarians smoke cigarettes, Swedes use alternative products. They have the advantage that they do not have to go out on the balcony, outside the restaurant or far from the bus stop. The health impact is also great according to him.
"Smoking cigarettes causes cancer, while alternative products are less harmful sources of nicotine" - emphasized Fagerström
Sweden is poised to become Europe's first smoke-free country thanks to its embrace of nicotine-containing alternatives. Smoking has been banned in all bars and restaurants since May 2005. Most Swedes supported the smoking ban campaign at that time. In 2019 the ban on smoking in public spaces was extended to include outdoor benches in bars and restaurants, as well as public places such as playgrounds, bus stations and train stations.
Despite the numbers, Hungary is considered by Swedish experts to be progressive, as the government allows the marketing of alternative products. These products offer an alternative to cigarettes which are very harmful. The right policy is also essential for these products, but it is important to distinguish them from normal cigarettes, experts point out.
Asked by reporters how effective the increase in the price of tobacco products is to make people quit smoking, the expert said that it is effective up to a point. However, he also added that prices should not be set too high.
“If the price is high, a lot of my money will go to cigarettes instead of spending it on my children, a good life and healthy food. So you can't keep raising prices indefinitely," argued Fagerström.
Another expert, Anders Milton, added that high prices also stimulate the black market, where many people turn to uncontrolled, dubious-quality but cheaper contraband. Of course, there will be those who, faced with the terrible prices, will realize that they have to make a change.
"In any case, experts would be happy to see higher taxes on cigarettes and less harmful alternatives on store shelves," he said.
The two experts share the same approach regarding nicotine, for them it is not a carcinogenic substance.
"It's not the nicotine that kills, it's the tobacco," they said.
