Harmful effects of tobacco
Smoking results in the premature death of every second smoker. The focus of Sweden's tobacco policy is on reducing tobacco consumption.
Smoking greatly increases the risk of developing forty or so diseases. Also, research shows that tobacco use reduces normal life expectancy. Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases among both men and women.
Passive smoking
Tobacco smoke is not only hazardous for smokers. Much of the smoke from cigarettes is released into the air. This can have harmful consequences for people's health, particularly children in close contact with the smoker. In Sweden about 500 people die each year as a result of passive smoking. Today, we have now learned more about the health implications of passive smoking. People become ill even though they themselves have not made the decision to start smoking. Perhaps they worked in a restaurant or café, where we know the problem is most serious. The risk of developing lung cancer is two to three times higher among people working in restaurants than among the rest of the population. At least one in four cases of child asthma is believed to be caused by parental smoking.
As knowledge about the harmful effects of tobacco has increased, the attitude of Swedish population towards tobacco has changed. Today unlike ten years ago it is generally accepted that workplaces and public spaces should be smoke-free. A comparison with earlier studies shows that exposure to passive smoking has decreased substantially over the past decade. Passive smoking is responsible for 3060 cases of lung cancer per year. Each year about 1000 people suffer heart attacks as a result of passive smoking.
Smoking more common among the less educated
The number of smokers has declined over the past few years. The largest decrease has been among the more privileged groups, with the smallest decrease coming among disadvantaged groups, such as women with less education and low incomes. Twice as many blue collar workers as white collar workers are smokers. This applies to both men and women.
More women than men smoke
Fewer and fewer men smoke. The general trend in society is that fewer and fewer people smoke a development that began among men at an earlier stage than among women. This means that both mortality and ill health due to smoking are decreasing among men. Such is not yet the case with women. The generation of women who have been heavy smokers is just beginning to reach the age when tobacco-related diseases become apparent. The number of lung cancer cases among men, for example, is declining, while an increase in the number of cases can still be noted among women. During the 1990s, the number of tobacco-related deaths among men decreased by 1 300 while among women it increased by 300. However, the number of women who smoke during pregnancy has been declining steadily since 1982.
Smoking habits of young people
Studies have shown that though information about the harmful effects of tobacco reaches young people, they may have difficulty taking it to heart and applying it in their everyday life. Almost all young people try smoking but only a minority get stuck in the habit and begin to smoke regularly. Both psychological and social factors help determine whether or not a person becomes a smoker. This is particularly evident among teenagers, who are more easily influenced by aspects such as peer pressure.
