Leading public health experts said Japan could save millions of lives if it embraces innovative and proven tobacco harm reduction measures.
The platform Quit Like Sweden, together with Institute for New Era Strategy (INES) Japan, brought together national and international public health experts at an event in Tokyo.
The event was the latest held by Quit Like Sweden, a not-for-profit platform dedicated to encouraging countries to replicate the Swedish Experience, following events in Brazil, Poland and Malaysia earlier this year.
In Tokyo, the event featured a series of discussions with harm reduction and public health experts, including Dr. Fredrik Nystrom, Professor Marewa Glover, Professor David Sweanor, Professor Kazumasa Oguro, Dr. Kenji Shibuya and Dr. Hiroya Kumamaru.
Professor Kazumasa Oguro, an expert in social security and fiscal policy, said: “Regulations on tobacco products in Japan differ significantly from those in countries like Sweden, and there are limited alternatives and policy incentives available for smokers who wish to quit and their families. As a member of the INES Harm Reduction Study Group, I hope to see further discussions on harm reduction expand in Japan as well.”
Professor David Sweanor, an international public health expert who focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies, said: “Japan has been a success story in reducing smoking rates since 2015 by more than 50% when it introduced heated tobacco products as an alternative to smokers.”
“Japan can now successfully learn from the Swedish experience, because the evidence from Sweden is compelling, and the need for action is urgent. To achieve this, Japan must adopt policies that make all alternatives to smoking accessible, acceptable and affordable to people who smoke. Smokers are often discriminated against for their addiction, however like all other members of our society, they also deserve the right to healthier choices,” said Quit Like Sweden founding director Suely Castro.
In Sweden, while one in four adults in use nicotine daily—a rate comparable to the rest of Europe—the country experiences significantly better health outcomes.
“Sweden’s success in reducing smoking rates is unparalleled. In Sweden, the cancer incidence is 41 percent lower than the European average, and smoking-related deaths are less than half of those in 24 of the other 26 EU countries. This stark contrast underscores the effectiveness of Sweden’s strategies in mitigating the health impacts associated with nicotine use,” said Castro.
“We have the ability to save millions of lives in Japan, and millions more around the world, just by replicating a model that has already worked so well for Sweden,” she said. “And there’s no better time to start that conversation than now.”
About Quit Like Sweden
Quit Like Sweden is a platform for people who want to make alternatives to smoking available to all adults seeking to quit smoking.
The smoking rate in Sweden, where once 49% of the male population smoked regularly, is about to fall below 5%, the level regarded by the World Health Organization as officially ‘smoke-free’.
Quit Like Sweden aims to encourage other countries to replicate the Swedish Experience by using traditional cessation and prevention measures while making alternatives to smoking accessible, acceptable and affordable.
About INES
The Institute for New Era Strategy (INES), founded in 1997, is an association committed to advancing policy development and fostering discussions on Japan’s critical challenges in economics, finance, politics and foreign affairs.
Initially launched as a private think tank, INES transitioned in 2018 to a broader organizational structure to enhance its research, policy advisory, and strategic guidance services for government agencies, corporations and other organizations.
Led by President Junta Asai, INES continues to drive actionable insights and meaningful policy recommendations, supporting Japan’s strategic evolution within a complex global landscape.
