2024-12-112024/25:SoU1 · p.1SoUHealth & social services
Targets for public health policy within expenditure area 9
New target for alcohol, narcotics, doping and tobacco (ANDT) policy
What's at stake: The new target is broadened to cover all nicotine products, including snus, and shifts the focus from reducing use itself to reducing its harms, which affects how tobacco and nicotine policy is shaped going forward.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the tobacco policy target should change from reducing tobacco use to reducing the medical and social harms caused by tobacco and nicotine products, or whether the previous target should remain unchanged.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the government's assessment that the tobacco policy target should be changed to reducing the medical and social harms caused by tobacco, extended to all nicotine products, since this better reflects the varying harms of different products.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S, V, MP)
S, V and MP reject the new target, arguing that it indirectly paves the way for increased use of products such as snus.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: approving what the committee proposes and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | No 0/91/0/15 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag approves the target for public health policy within expenditure area 9 that the Government proposes. Thus the Riksdag approves proposition 2024/25:1 expenditure area 9 point 6 and rejects motion 2024/25:3212 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) demand 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen godkänner det mål för folkhälsopolitiken inom utgiftsområde 9 som regeringen föreslår. Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2024/25:1 utgiftsområde 9 punkt 6 och avslår motion 2024/25:3212 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: A total of approximately 120.3 billion kronor from the state budget for 2025 goes to the expenditure area Healthcare, medical care and social welfare. The Riksdag approved the Government's proposal in the 2025 budget proposition on how the money should be distributed within the expenditure area. Most money, nearly 41.1 billion kronor, goes to the appropriation Subsidies for pharmaceutical benefits. The second-largest appropriation, nearly 26.9 billion kronor, goes to costs for state assistance compensation. The appropriation Contributions to public health and healthcare receives just over 11.2 billion kronor. The Riksdag also approved the Government's proposal on certain authorizations regarding financial commitments, and to approve an investment plan. Additionally, the Riksdag approved proposals concerning targets for public health policy. At the same time, the Riksdag said no to alternative budget proposals in motions and other motions. The Riksdag decides on the state budget in two steps. First, the framework for the 27 expenditure areas in the budget is decided. The Riksdag decided this on 27 November 2024. Subsequently, the Riksdag determines in a second step how the money shall be distributed within each expenditure area. This decision concerns step two in the decision-making process.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to retain the goal of reduced tobacco use instead of replacing it with a goal of reduced medical and social harms. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme wants to see restrictive regulation of alcohol and tobacco and points out tobacco companies as actors with a destructive role that should be isolated.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants to see restrictive regulation of alcohol and tobacco and points out tobacco companies as actors with a destructive role that should be isolated. A broadened target that grades harm between nicotine products risks, according to that line, legitimizing increased use of, for example, snus. The counter-proposal's rejection of the broadened target is therefore in line with the plan's restrictive stance.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill se en restriktiv reglering av alkohol och tobak och pekar ut tobaksbolagen som aktörer med en destruktiv roll som bör isoleras. Ett breddat mål som graderar skadan mellan nikotinprodukter riskerar enligt den linjen att legitimera ökat bruk av exempelvis snus. Motförslagets avvisande av det breddade målet ligger därför i linje med planens restriktiva hållning.
- restrictive tobacco regulationdecisive»Vi vill se en restriktiv reglering av alkohol och tobak.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see restrictive regulation of alcohol and tobacco.”
- isolate tobacco companies»spelar en destruktiv roll, som fossilkapitalet eller tobaksbolagen.« (party programme ↗)“play a destructive role, like fossil capital or tobacco companies.”
- public health perspective»Vården behöver ses som en del i det bredare arbetet med folkhälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Healthcare needs to be seen as part of the broader work with public health.”
- evidence-based health policy»evidens och prioriteras utifrån behov.« (party programme ↗)“evidence and prioritized according to need.”
The counter-proposal rejects a broadened nicotine goal with the argument that it indirectly opens for increased use of products such as snus.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal rejects a broadened nicotine goal with the argument that it indirectly opens for increased use of products such as snus. The party programme requires that children and young people receive a safe upbringing free from drugs and points out that ill-health is class-based, which speaks for a restrictive line against nicotine use rather than a goal that grades harm between products. The documents do not, however, address tobacco policy's goal formulation.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget avvisar ett breddat nikotinmål med argumentet att det indirekt öppnar för ökat bruk av produkter som snus. Partiprogrammet kräver att barn och ungdomar får en trygg uppväxt fri från droger och pekar på att ohälsan är klassbunden, vilket talar för en restriktiv linje mot nikotinbruk snarare än ett mål som graderar skador mellan produkter. Dokumenten behandlar dock inte tobakspolitikens målformulering.
- upbringing free from drugsdecisive»och till en trygg uppväxt fri från droger och våld.« (party programme ↗)“and to a safe upbringing free from drugs and violence.”
- class-based ill-health»utbildningsnivå lever kortare, är oftare sjuka, saknar oftare jobb, har sämre« (party programme ↗)“educational level live shorter, are more often ill, more often lack work, have worse”
- care's role for life chances»Skola, vård och omsorg har en central roll för fördelningen av möjligheter i livet.« (party programme ↗)“School, care and elder care have a central role in distributing opportunities in life.”
The counter-proposal rejects a broadened goal that risks indirectly legitimizing increased use of nicotine products such as snus.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal rejects a broadened goal that risks indirectly legitimizing increased use of nicotine products such as snus. The plan's public health line is that harmful and toxic products should be removed, especially those children encounter, and that advertising and availability of addictive substances should be limited. This speaks for the more restrictive line, even though the plan does not comment on the specific goal formulation for tobacco policy.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget avvisar ett breddat mål som riskerar att indirekt legitimera ökat bruk av nikotinprodukter som snus. Planens folkhälsolinje är att skadliga och giftiga produkter ska bort, särskilt de som barn möter, och att reklam och tillgänglighet för beroendeframkallande varor ska begränsas. Det talar för den mer restriktiva linjen, även om planen inte uttalar sig om just målformuleringen för tobakspolitiken.
- protect children from harmful substancesdecisive»fasa ut giftiga ämnen omgående, speciellt från produkter för barn.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out toxic substances immediately, especially from products for children.”
- precaution for child protection»Barn är särskilt känsliga för många miljögifter, och de produkter och miljöer som barn använder och vistas i måste värnas särskilt.« (party programme ↗)“Children are especially sensitive to many environmental toxins, and the products and environments children use and spend time in must be specially protected.”
- reduce use of addictive substances»Alkohol och andra droger orsakar samhället enorma kostnader och drabbade individer stort lidande.« (party programme ↗)“Alcohol and other drugs cause society enormous costs and affected individuals great suffering.”
- limited marketing»Vi vill begränsa reklamens utbredning, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“We want to limit advertising, especially among children and young people.”
The plan does not mention tobacco or nicotine, but the party programme's public health view is based on society providing conditions for the individual to take responsibility for their health and lifestyle, and the party defends freedom from paternalism.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not mention tobacco or nicotine, but the party programme's public health view is based on society providing conditions for the individual to take responsibility for their health and lifestyle, and the party defends freedom from paternalism. A goal focused on reducing medical and social harm, differentiated by the products' harmfulness, lies closer to that line than the counter-proposal's rejection of a broader goal. The plan thus speaks against the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen nämner inte tobak eller nikotin, men partiprogrammets folkhälsosyn bygger på att samhället ska ge förutsättningar för individen att ta ansvar för sin hälsa och livsstil, och partiet försvarar friheten från förmynderi. Ett mål inriktat på minskade medicinska och sociala skador, differentierat efter produkternas skadlighet, ligger närmare den linjen än motförslagets avvisande av ett breddat mål. Planen talar därför emot motförslaget.
- own responsibility for lifestyledecisive»förutsättningar för att individer ska kunna ta ansvar för sitt välbefinnande, sin hälsa och livsstil.« (party programme ↗)“conditions for individuals to be able to take responsibility for their well-being, health and lifestyle.”
- freedom from paternalism»vi försvarar alla människors frihet från förmynderi« (party programme ↗)“we defend all people's freedom from paternalism”
- good public health as goal»God folkhälsa är en grundsten i en hållbar välfärd.« (party programme ↗)“Good public health is a cornerstone of sustainable welfare.”
- individual self-determination»Centerpartiet kommer alltid att kämpa för ett friare Sverige där människor kan bestämma mer över sina egna liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Centre Party will always fight for a freer Sweden where people can decide more about their own lives.”
The party programme establishes that policy shall start from a harm reduction principle and that public health work shall rest on knowledge and respect for individual self-determination, which speaks to a goal that distinguishes between products based on how much they harm.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that policy shall start from a harm reduction principle and that public health work shall rest on knowledge and respect for individual self-determination, which speaks to a goal that distinguishes between products based on how much they harm. The counter-proposal wants conversely to reject the broadened nicotine target by referring to that it opens for more snus. The plan's requirement for purposeful tobacco prevention work does not speak against a harm-graduated target formulation.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att politiken ska utgå från en skadelindringsprincip och att folkhälsoarbetet ska vila på kunskap och respekt för individens självbestämmande, vilket talar för ett mål som skiljer mellan produkter utifrån hur mycket de skadar. Motförslaget vill tvärtom avvisa det breddade nikotinmålet med hänvisning till att det öppnar för mer snus. Planens krav på ett målmedvetet tobakspreventivt arbete talar inte emot en skadegraderad målformulering.
- harm reduction principledecisive»Politiken ska utgå från en skadelindringsprincip.« (party programme ↗)“Policy shall start from a harm reduction principle.”
- individual's self-determination»Den enskildes motivation ska styra alla insatser som erbjuds.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's motivation shall guide all offered measures.”
- purposeful tobacco prevention»Det tobakspreventiva arbetet ska bedrivas målmedvetet« (party programme ↗)“Tobacco prevention work shall be conducted purposefully”
The plan's line on dependency issues is that harm is minimized through low total consumption and that preventive measures for children and young people are prioritized, with age limits for tobacco and promotion of drug-free environments.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's line on dependency issues is that harm is minimized through low total consumption and that preventive measures for children and young people are prioritized, with age limits for tobacco and promotion of drug-free environments. A goal that differentiates between nicotine products risks, according to the counter-proposal, increasing use, which contradicts the total consumption principle. The plan therefore argues for rejecting the expanded goal.
Original (Swedish)
Planens linje i beroendefrågor är att skador minimeras genom låg totalkonsumtion och att förebyggande insatser för barn och unga prioriteras, med åldersgränser för tobak och främjande av drogfria miljöer. Ett mål som differentierar mellan nikotinprodukter riskerar enligt motförslaget att öka bruket, vilket strider mot totalkonsumtionsprincipen. Planen talar därför för att avvisa det breddade målet.
- low total consumptiondecisive»alkoholskador genom en låg totalkonsumtion.« (party programme ↗)“alcohol damage through low total consumption.”
- children and young people are prioritized»I det förebyggande arbetet ska insatser för barn och« (party programme ↗)“In preventive work, measures for children and”
- age limits for tobacco»ungdomar prioriteras. Det ska finnas åldersgränser för« (party programme ↗)“young people are prioritized. There should be age limits for”
- drug-free environments»drogfria miljöer ska främjas.« (party programme ↗)“drug-free environments should be promoted.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The counter-proposal wants to reject a broadened goal that distinguishes between different nicotine products' harmfulness, on the grounds that it opens up for increased snus use.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to reject a broadened goal that distinguishes between different nicotine products' harmfulness, on the grounds that it opens up for increased snus use. The plan's basic position is the opposite: it rejects finger-wagging politics in everyday choices and states that freedom in Sweden is great and shall remain so, with tolerance for people's different paths in life. The documents do not directly address the tobacco and nicotine goal, so the stance is derived from these principles.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill avvisa ett breddat mål som skiljer mellan olika nikotinprodukters skadlighet, med argumentet att det öppnar för ökat snusbruk. Planens grundhållning är motsatt: den avvisar pekpinnepolitik i vardagsvalen och slår fast att friheten i Sverige är stor och ska så förbli, med tolerans för människors olika vägar i livet. Dokumenten behandlar inte tobaks- och nikotinmålet direkt, så ställningstagandet är härlett ur dessa principer.
- no to finger-wagging politicsdecisive»Där miljöbovar betalar för sig, men du kan unna dig en plastpåse när du veckohandlar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Where environmental wrongdoers pay for it, but you can treat yourself to a plastic bag when you do your weekly shopping.”
- great personal freedom»I Sverige är friheten stor och ska så förbli.« (party programme ↗)“In Sweden, freedom is great and shall remain so.”
- tolerance for life choices»Toleransen handlar om öppenhet för människors olika vägar« (party programme ↗)“Tolerance is about openness to people's different paths”
The plan does not address tobacco or nicotine policy and lacks targets for snus use.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address tobacco or nicotine policy and lacks targets for snus use. The most relevant principle is that every individual should be free to make their own choices without public interference, and that policy should be based on facts rather than punishment of undesired lifestyles. The counter-proposal's requirement to reject a damage-graded target out of fear of increased snus use therefore lies outside the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte tobaks- eller nikotinpolitik och saknar mål för bruket av snus. Närmast liggande princip är att varje individ ska stå fri att göra sina egna val utan att det offentliga styr dem, och att politiken ska bygga på fakta snarare än på bestraffning av oönskade levnadssätt. Motförslagets krav att avvisa ett skadegraderat mål av rädsla för ökat snusbruk ligger därför utanför planens linje.
- the individual's own choicesdecisive»Varje individ ska stå fri att göra sina egna val och forma sina egna liv, utan att det offentliga ska styra dessa val.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Every individual should be free to make their own choices and shape their own lives, without public interference in these choices.”
- facts rather than feelings»Miljöpolitiken måste alltid stämmas av mot nya rön i forskningen och baseras på fakta framför känslor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Environmental policy must always be attuned to new findings in research and be based on facts rather than feelings.”
- do not punish lifestyles»inte genom ett ensidigt fokus på bestraffningar av oönskade levnadssätt hos enskilda« (party programme ↗)“not through one-sided focus on punishment of undesired lifestyles in individuals”
flags: plan_saknar_tobakspolitik
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:SoU1)
- Committee report full text (HC01SoU1)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1920 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2142 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Anders W Jonsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:3022 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3053 — Allas rätt till fungerande preventivmedel av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3055 — Främjande av hälsa - förebyggande av sjukdom och ohälsa av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3068 — Idrotts- och friluftspolitiska frågor av Mats Berglund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3110 — Utgiftsområde 17 Kultur, medier, trossamfund och fritid av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3212 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2024/25:1 — Budgetpropositionen för 2025
Source: The Swedish Parliament