1: Take a problem, in this case tobacco consumption

2: Isolate a part of it, ideally a the part that is most visible and/or easiest to go after. As others have mentioned, Sweden has a large culture of non-smoked tobacco consumption

3: Define an easily achieved win condition, brand it as complete success. In this case "smoke-free" means under 1 in 20 Swedes smoke

4: Get your buddies in the press to publish breathless articles on your 'Incredible' milestone

5 (ideally optional): If anyone ever tries to hold you accountable, double down.

> Less than 5%

Incredible milestone but when 1 in 20 is still smoking I feel like it's a bit early to call yourself smoke free.

Meanwhile, the parents' generation and politicians are looking at the declining cigarette sales (and declining tax revenues) and are busy declaring victory and self-congratulating, with no idea what is coming.

This probably contributes to the low smoking rates, but it also means that Swedish politicians love acting like the tobacco industry is their best friend,[1][2] because it's in the national interest to protect this uniquely Swedish tradition or whatever. And recently, the so-called white snus (Swedicism; English name is nicotine pouches, only Sweden considers this a kind of snus) like ZYN is a way for the Swedish tobacco industry to get a new generation of young people hooked in nicotine, interestingly including ones outside Sweden.

[1] https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/regeringen-presenterade-t...

[2] https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenskar-i-eu-pratar-flit...