Moral Panic and Symbolic Politics – When Emotions Drive Danish Policy

In Denmark, several major health organisations want to ban all sales of tobacco and nicotine by 2035. But Health Minister Sophie Løhde says no – a total ban breaches EU rules. Still, the debate rages on, with proposals for higher prices, fewer retailers, and raising the purchase age to 25.

But do bans really work? Sweden’s experience tells a different story. On 25 October, the country will become the first in Europe to meet the WHO’s smoke-free target – without any total ban. The secret? Harm reduction: high cigarette taxes combined with less harmful alternatives such as snus and nicotine pouches.

“Through harm reduction, you can tackle deadly smoking while maintaining control. It’s a proven method that more countries should adopt. Sweden has been remarkably successful in lowering smoking rates, largely because consumers have been able to switch to less harmful alternatives such as snus and nicotine pouches,” says Markus Lindblad, Head of Legal and External Affairs at Haypp Group.

Denmark can make a difference right now by raising cigarette prices and reducing availability – but let alternatives remain alternatives. For public health, we don’t win with symbolic politics, but with solutions that actually work.