– The National Board of Health and Welfare's decision is an example of conflicting interests in tobacco prevention work. Another current example is when the home care staff's right to a smoke-free work environment is pitted against the care recipient's right to smoke in their home. A third is when the surgeon's knowledge of the increased risk of complications when operating on a smoking patient is pitted against the patient's "right" to smoke, comments Göran Boëthius, medical and tobacco policy expert at the Tobacco Facts think tank.
The National Board of Health and Welfare's decision comes after an underage boy at SiS's youth home Sundbo in Fagersta complained that he was not allowed to smoke snuff at the institution. His father had sent him snuff, but the staff had taken the snuff away, citing SiS's tobacco policy. According to the policy, young people under the age of 18 are not allowed to smoke or snuff, and the boy wonders which applies, SiS's policy or the Tobacco Act.
The National Board of Health and Welfare has examined the complaint and concluded that there is no legal basis for restricting the right of inmates to snuff, smoke or possess tobacco in the special youth homes with a general ban. In order for the staff to have the right to take possession of property, it is required that it is detrimental to the care or order at the institution. An individual decision is also required in each individual case. It is therefore still possible to take possession of tobacco products if in the individual case they are deemed to be detrimental to the care or order at the home. The decision must be clearly motivated. It is still prohibited for young people to smoke indoors. Anyone who wants to smoke may do so in a specially designated place outdoors.
-The fact that we are lifting the ban does not mean that we are releasing the restrictive attitude towards smoking, says SiS Director General Ewa Persson Göransson.
-We will continue to offer support and nicotine replacement therapy to young people who want to quit smoking. The staff at the youth centers are also not allowed to buy tobacco products for young people.
Tobacco Facts expert Göran Boëthius emphasizes that it is important to continue discussing and forming opinions about this type of ethical and legal contradictions in the tobacco issue. At the same time, he believes that many such problems are difficult to solve and will be long-lasting.
– Therefore, they should prompt us to accelerate broad tobacco prevention work in accordance with the WHO Tobacco Control Convention, says Göran Boëthius.
-Without a gradual and significant reduction in tobacco use, today's complaining youth at SiS will, in a few decades, be the smoking care recipient who has the "right" to give home care staff an unacceptable working environment.
