In Part 2, Bengt Wiberg explains why EU nicotine policy should be science-based, not political. Drawing on Sweden’s success, he challenges cancer myths, youth claims, and makes the case for smart regulation to reduce smoking and save lives.
Transcription:
00:14 - 00:31
[Joanna Junak]
So could the misinformation from the EU Commissioner's statement along with general misunderstanding about nicotine pouches affect EU nicotine policy this year?
00:34 - 04:57
[Bengt Wiberg]
Yes, of course it can. Anyone in the world can Google or AI search the very simple question, does nicotine in itself cause cancer? And the answer you will get from both WHO, FDA, cancer organizations, Even all the anti-old nicotine organizations like Non-Smoking Generation and Tobacco Free Kids, they don't claim that nicotine in itself causes cancer. But the EU sort of resists. What is causing cancer is the combustion. When you put fire to a cigarette stick or a beady stick in India or... Whatever you set fire to, there are thousands of cancerous ingredients that enter your lungs and your body, plus tar. These novel nicotine products are not put on fire. Let me take... I enjoy nicotine. I used to be smoky, like I said, but this is not on fire. Stays under my lip. Yes, and I also, the impact on EU policy, because EU like to bring up the youth arguments I think EU should regulate very quickly and make it very easy. The Swedish intelligent regulations for tobacco-free nicotine products came out in 2022 with clear age limits for buying the product. You have to be 18 years or older. clear restrictions on marketing you may not market target people who are under 25 years old or if you use a person in an advert that person must not even look no chance to look to be under 25 years old every product that is you know, submitted by companies to be sold in Sweden has to be registered with the Swedish Public Health Agency. And then you have a waiting period of six months before it is actually allowed to be sold. Every ingredient down to the last milligram of the content has to be registered with the government public health agency. The industry, they like this because you have the set of rules set up And consumers can be more confident that what they place under their lip or what they are vaping has been, you know, is under strict regulation. So to make it easy, EU should just copy-paste the intelligent Swedish regulations and you will see a dramatic change, this is my opinion, in smoking prevalence in the EU. Like I said, Sweden, the smoking prevalence is 5.3%. Looking at the younger generations up to 44 years old, from 16 to 44 years old, we are under 5% daily smokers. And this is the goal of both the EU and the World Health Organization. This is the goal for calling yourself a smoke-free country. that the prevalence is under 5%. Sweden is already there. Look at the Swedish experience.
04:59 - 05:05
[Joanna Junak]
What lessons should EU policymakers learn from the strong criticism of these comments?
05:07 - 06:46
[Bengt Wiberg]
I think regulation should be evidence-based, science-based, rather than political bias and lobbying influence. So much else in the world is science-based. EU policymakers should also consider the relative risk. It's not quit or die. when it comes to smoking, there is a big, very big grayscale moving you to lower your risk. And like I said, nicotine pouches has the same risk as nicotine gum, nicotine replacement products. The best you can do, of course, is to stay out of all nicotine products, but it's not so easy. Look at me, I'm an inventor, patent holder, tobacco harm reduction advocate, 68 years old. And I enjoy this. I don't disturb anybody else. Are you disturbed? No, I don't think you are. But also lessons for you policy makers, there has to be accountability. Leaders must be held responsible for misinformation that deters smokers from life-saving alternatives. This is very important.
06:48 - 06:59
[Joanna Junak]
And why are products like snus, nicotine pouches or e-cigarettes designed to help people quit smoking so often portrayed as addicting young people?
07:01 - 08:06
[Bengt Wiberg]
Well, the conclusion that many organizations who are anti-all nicotine as an ingredient claim that if you start with snus or nicotine pouches or vaping, you are more likely to start up smoking. We're looking at the youngest age group in Sweden, and this is from the statistics of the Swedish Public Health Agency. The smoking rate is now down to 2% among 16 to 29 years old, whereas the number of as people quit smoking many switch to to nicotine pouches and snooze and vapes and so it's a gateway out of smoking completely the opposite of what some eu officials are claiming
08:07 - 08:22
[Joanna Junak]
Thank you, Brent. That's all for today. Tune in next time here on GFN TV or on our podcast. You can also find transcriptions of each episode on the GFN TV website. Thanks for watching or listening. See you next time.