Profile in Courage: MEP Johan Nissinen

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people needlessly die young because of their pernicious habit of smoking combustible cigarettes. The health risks of inhaling tobacco smoke are well documented, yet the path to quitting is fraught, complex, and often unsuccessful. In this difficult environment, bold leadership and advocacy of reduced-risk alternatives are rare.

Johan Nissinen, a Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has demonstrated exactly this kind of leadership. Through persistent advocacy for tobacco harm reduction (THR) strategies, he has challenged prevailing orthodoxies and helped shift the policy conversation in Europe. Nissinen has become a pivotal voice for THR reform, representing a country that has become a poster child for successful policies to reduce smoking.  For giving smokers a chance to life and thrive, Johan Nissinen is absolutely a Profile in Courage.

The standard line given by “public health” bureaucrats is that quitting all nicotine is ideal. But as Nissinen has observed, many smokers struggle mightily to quit entirely, and tobacco consumption is the central driver of harm. As he stated at a policy forum, “Quitting addiction isn’t easy, which is precisely why we shouldn’t ban snus and other smoke‑free alternatives in the EU.” He rightly argues that restricting access to less‑harmful alternatives such as snus effectively limits the options for those addicted to combustible cigarettes.

Nissinen advocates access to reduced-risk alternatives despite overwhelming institutional pushback. He has spoken repeatedly in the European Parliament for fewer restrictions on THR products such as snus and nicotine pouches—despite many member‑states and the European Commission embracing prohibition and perpetually threatening taxes. He co‑hosted an event titled “Harm Reduction: The Road to a Smoke Free Europe” in the European Parliament, giving voice to vapers and THR consumers and marking a departure from the traditional exclusion of these voices from the policy debate. He has also persistently raised written questions and motions within the Parliament, challenging bureaucratic inertia and advocating for evidence‑based regulation. In challenging out-of-control regulation and bureaucracy, Nissinen has repeatedly pointed to Sweden’s model—where snus use is legal and common and has corresponded with low smoking prevalence—as a proof‑of‑concept for harm reduction, even as the rest of the EU lags behind.

Indeed, new research suggests that Sweden has become Europe’s first smoke-free country — a significant public health achievement. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines “smoke-free” as having fewer than 5 percent of the population who smoke daily.

While Nissinen alone did not create the “Swedish model” of allowing reduced-risk alternatives, the MEP has taken Sweden’s approach to the world. By shifting the policy framing from “only abstinence” to “harm reduction,” Nissinen has doggedly opposed EU-wide regulation of items such as nicotine pouches. And, as the EU explores tinkering with its Tobacco Products Directive, Nissinen will be leading the charge against creeping prohibition.

Nissinen has been clear that regulatory reform will not happen overnight, stating that the removal of the snus ban in the EU may take decades. But he remains optimistic and calls for the EU regulatory apparatus to adopt risk‑based, evidence‑driven frameworks rather than one‑size‑fits‑all bans. The MEP cannot emphasize enough that giving adult smokers realistic alternatives instead of abstinence-based messaging is key if Europe wants to ditch smoking.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) will be empowering voices such as Nissinen’s in Geneva, Switzerland, as Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meet for their biennial Conference of the Parties (Bad COP) to discuss tobacco-related issues. TPA’s event “Conference of the People (Good COP)” will bring in experts and consumers, often ignored by WHO, to be heard during the discussion of tobacco and tobacco harm reduction.

These experts and ex-smokers deserve a voice, and leaders such as Johan Nissinen are ready to take a stand to end prohibition and save smokers’ lives. For his willingness to challenge the “public health” orthodoxy, amplify oft-ignored voices, and pursue pragmatic solutions that will save countless lives, Johan Nissinen is truly a Profile in Courage.