The purpose of the Science and Public Education Association is to promote public education about the methods and results of science.
Every year, the Misleading Person of the Year is chosen. An organization or person who, voluntarily or through gross negligence, has contributed to creating confusion and ambiguity about the methods and results of science.
“The Snus Commission is confusing”
The Snus Commission receives the award for repeated misleading claims about nicotine, according to the Swedish Association for Science and Public Education.
"The Snus Commission emphasizes that white snus can help tobacco-dependent people to reduce their tobacco use. However, statistics show that most people who use white snus are young people who have not previously used tobacco. The Snus Commission thereby contributes to making many young people and young adults addicted to nicotine, perhaps for the rest of their lives. This has negative consequences for the health, behavior and finances of nicotine-dependent people," the justification states.
-The Snus Commission conveys a strongly biased view of the use of white snus. The Snus Commission ignores that nicotine quickly leads to addiction, especially among young people and especially among young women. Such selected information can be considered disinformation
says Tomas Furmark, professor of psychology and board member of the Science and Public Education Association.
Affects non-smokers
Svenska Dagbladet writes that the chairman of the Snus Commission, Stig-Björn Ljunggren, does not agree with the criticism. He does not think that only one side of the coin is shown.
– Harm minimization is our principle. In that case, it is better to take snus than to smoke – but the best thing would be to eat carrots. We usually say that we don't want people to take snus more, but that people should smoke less, he says.
Stig-Björn Ljunggren says that they are also critical of the high nicotine content in the white bags, and that he believes that marketing should be more restrained.
Tomas Furmark, of the Swedish Association for Science and Public Education, tells Svenska Dagbladet that he agrees that snus is better for health than cigarettes, but thinks that the Snus Commission is ignoring a larger public health problem.
– The Snus Commission highlights it as a replacement product for smoking. But what may help some people can be harmful to many. You risk making people, especially young people, addicted to nicotine for life, says Tomas Furmark.
Footnote: The Snus Commission's website states that the commission is funded by the Swedish Snus Manufacturers Association, but that the commission reaches its conclusions without influence from the funders.
Source: VOF Misleader of the Year 2025
