Reduction of smoking in Finland
Cigarette consumption in Finland was the highest in the world in the 1920ґs, and much higher than in the other Nordic countries until the late 1930ґs. In the 1950ґs 76% of men and 13% of women smoked, whereas in 1998 proportion of daily smokers was 30% among men and 20% among women. The current figures are among the lowest in Europe.
The health risks of smoking have not been widely questioned in medicine since the 1950ґs. The past 30 years have been a period of transition from implicit smoking policies, mainly determined by commercial and fiscal interest, to explicit health-oriented policies. Earlier smoking was considered a medical and individual problem. Nowadays it is primarily a public health problem, but also a social and political issue.
Legislative actions
In the 1960ґs the Finnish Parliament requested the Government to take immediate, strong and systematic (legislative) measures to reduce smoking. Committees, commissions, and working groups followed one another. It took 15 years before the Act on Measures for the Restriction of Tobacco-smoking was passed unanimously in the Parliament in 1976. However, the comprehensive Act was very progressive at the time. The main goal was to protect the vast majority of the people of the health risks of tobacco smoke. The Act included among other things, advertising ban, prohibition of sales of tobacco products to any person under the age of 16 years, and smoke-free public premises and smoking prohibition on most public transport.
It was not until 19 years later in 1995, when legislative measures specified certain provisions in which there had been difficulties in interpretation and implementation. It was also clear that there was a need to prevent exposure to tobacco smoke at work. Smoking was prohibited or restricted by law in such a way that no employee is exposed to tobacco smoke against his or her will. Additionally, the age limit of selling tobacco products was raised to 18 years, and also indirect tobacco advertising and sponsoring were prohibited.
Since the Act of 1995 excluded restaurants, the Finnish Parliament requested the Government to prepare a law of smoke-free areas in restaurants. These provisions, passed by the Parliament in early 1999, require restaurants to gradually increase the smoke-free area until in 2001 half of the restaurant seats should be reserved to non-smokers. Smoking areas must be ventilated so that tobacco smoke will not spread to the smoke-free area.
Further, the Finnish Parliament required that tobacco smoke should be included into the national list of carcinogenic substances.
Health initiatives Overall, the Finnish experience is an example of a long but rewarding process from the results of scientific research to comprehensive action and public health policy. Some of the key elements in the successful smoking reduction policy have been the traditional collaboration between the health authorities and non-governmental organisations, and intensive health promotion.