Daily Usage as a Percent of Population (Women Under the Age of 25)

Knowledge•Action•Change (2018)

- No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction

This figure illustrates how the smoking rate amongst women under the age of 25 in Norway has declined over the past decade, whilst snus use has simultaneously increased. Use of snus by women hovers from around 14 percent to 17 percent. The overall percentage of people using nicotine via either snus or smoking has remained roughly the same over time – it is the choice of products that has changed over the last ten years. In 1997–99, about five percent of tobacco consumption was snus, and 95 percent was cigarettes. Overall tobacco consumption – by weight – declined by 40 percent between 1997 and 2017.

Several factors are responsible for the decline in smoking and rise in snus use in Norway:

» Snus is an exit from smoking for established smokers. Over time, the use of snus at the last quit attempt has risen from 10% in 2003 to around 23%, overtaking NRT by 2011. It is the most common way to quit smoking in Norway, after unassisted (cold turkey) quits.

» Snus use helps smokers to reduce smoking. Those who both smoke and use snus have a weekly cigarette consumption 37% below that of exclusive smokers. The proportion of dual users is small.

See also p. 46 of the report: No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2018 — Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (gsthr.org)