Swedish answer to cancer

Published on Friday 22 July 2005 01:42

With regard to your report (13 July) on the "epidemic" of lung cancer in Scottish women, as director of the think tank Eudoxa I would like to point out the option of offering an alternative.

In Sweden, the sale of oral snuff known as "snus" has been an important part of avoiding the lung cancer issue. This is very evident in cancer statistics in Sweden, where snus is widely used among men, and there is a significantly lower incidence of lung cancer than in the rest of Europe. For women, the incidence is about equal, since they do not use snus to the same degree (although this is changing).

At present, the European Union prohibits the sale of snus outside of Sweden, but if the option was given to Scots, thousands of lung cancer cases could be avoided. There would still be addiction and other health problems. But the situation would definitely improve. Scots and Europeans deserve to get the option by lifting the ban.

WALDEMAR INGDAHL

Sveavagen

Stockholm, Sweden