Strategies and barriers to achieving the goal of Finland’s tobacco endgame

Abstract

ObjectivesFinland boldly legislated the end of tobacco use in its 2010 Tobacco Act, and subsequently expanded the goal in 2016 to eradicate other nicotine-containing products. This study explored stakeholders’ perceptions about the strengths, barriers, solutions and rationale for Finland’s comprehensive but conventional strategy to achieve its nicotine-free goal.DesignStudy participants were selected based on expertise in policy or practice of tobacco control (n=32). Semi-structured interviews, conducted in 2017 and 2018, covered topics ranging from consensus among stakeholders to Finland’s ranking on the 2016 Tobacco Control Scale. The framework method was chosen for analysing interview transcripts.ResultsA perceived strength of Tobacco-Free Finland 2030 was the consensus and cooperation among members of the tobacco control community. The objective of becoming a nicotine- versus smoke-free society had almost unanimous support, challenged by a small minority who argued for greater discussion of harm reduction approaches. The need for maintaining legitimacy and historical successes in tobacco control were reasons for using a conventional strategy. Barriers to achieving the endgame goal included insufficient funding and over-reliance on non-governmental organisations, political/legal constraints, impact of institutional practices on tobacco disparities, ambivalence about the role of mass media and lack of prioritising smoking cessation.ConclusionsStakeholders’ broad confidence in reaching the goal of Finland’s tobacco endgame suggests that future policy initiatives will reflect the current, conventional strategy. If the Finnish government chooses to continue this approach, then it should designate separate funds for Tobacco-Free Finland 2030 and implement structural changes that will facilitate tobacco control initiatives.

Compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: Two Different Worlds

“…Finnish non-governmental organizations in particular which are core in the implementation of anti-tobacco policy also face a lack of designated funds for tobacco control, which increases their dependency and they often have to seek funding on an annual basis [ 38 ].…”

“…In Finland mass-media campaigns are evaluated as ineffective, mainly if they are non-targeted and not considered to be a priority of national institutions [ 38 ]. Warning media campaigns targeting the whole population are not part of a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program, but there exists utilized media planning, and assessment of implementation and effectiveness [ 39 ].…”

“…The main barriers to even better compliance with the rules supporting a smoking-free environment in Finland are considered to be insufficient funding, differing views of political representatives, disparities in tobacco use, and deficiencies in smoking cessation services [ 38 ].…”

“…The Finnish Ministry for Social Affairs and Health also appointed a working group in 2017 whose given task was to promote the objective of ending the use of tobacco and other nicotine-containing products by 2030 [ 81 ]. Despite its achievements to date, Finland also struggles with lack of financial support, differences in political backing for a smoking-free environment, and need for implementation of structural changes, as Timberlake et al pointed out [ 38 ].…”

Helsinki by nature: The Nature Step to Respiratory Health

“…Of particular interest are tobacco endgame policies adopted by a few countries including Finland [93, 94 ]. The goal of the Tobacco ‐ free Finland 2030 Network is to create a tobacco‐ and nicotine‐free country [95 ].…”