By Promise Marupeng recently in Poland and Switzerland
Visiting Switzerland and Poland gives one an insight of what it looks like to have a smoke-free environment, particularly the eastern part of the Central Europe region. These countries are not far from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. They are also near Ukraine, Lithuania, and Russia.
Poland and Switzerland now fall within the “developed countries” category because they have strong economies. Wealthy people are commonly found in this part of the world. Tourists often remark on the strength of the Euro compared to other currencies.
Recently, I attended the Global Nicotine Forum conference in Warsaw, where dozens of harm reduction specialists, global health advisors, and scientists gathered to discuss the regulation of nicotine products. The forum covered topics such as the sale, packaging, distribution, advertising bans, and increased attention to nicotine science and its public health benefits—all aimed at ending combustible smoking and tobacco use. This year marked the 12th Annual Conference on Nicotine, held at the Warsaw Presidential Hotel in the city center.
The three-day conference covered subjects ranging from nicotine science, nicotine pouches, regulation, to harm reduction. Exhibitors included British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International, who demonstrated their efforts to help adult smokers quit by switching to safer alternatives.
Beyond the ongoing regulatory processes and parliament discussions regarding the global vapes bill, the reality of a smoke-free country is already evident. From the moment you land at Zurich Airport in Switzerland, you realize how strict the cigarette bans are. Smokers are limited to designated smoking and vaping areas. The most interesting experience was witnessing cigarette-free zones where smokers use devices like IQOS Iluma or vape oils. It looked impressive—those who smoke publicly hold colourful gadgets that resemble nothing like traditional cigarettes.
Locals explain that no second-hand smoke is emitted, and this switch to safer alternatives protects non-smokers as well.
According to the World Health Organization, there are currently over 1.5 billion active smokers worldwide who could benefit greatly from these innovations by changing their lifestyles and switching to these products.
While talking to a local vape store owner in a Warsaw mall during my city tour about local smoking habits, she shared that countries like Poland and Switzerland have seen successful recovery from older generations of smokers transitioning to e-cigarettes and vapes—even among those wanting to quit combustible cigarettes.
“Doctors here even recommend vaping to people trying to quit smoking because, unlike traditional cigarettes, vaping and nicotine pouches are smoke-free and easier on the lungs. I’ve been off cigarettes for four years. I can now run, train, and eat properly—things I struggled with while smoking,” she explained.
Three years ago, when she still smoked cigarettes, she always felt tired and lazy. Now, she walks approximately 17,000 steps daily to and from work and occasionally rides her bicycle.
She told Africa News24 that since relocating to Warsaw for work in 2022, she joined a running club and lost weight. Another local mentioned she stopped driving to work, preferring to take Poland’s popular tram system and walk the remaining distances to the tram stop and her home.
Upon exploring the Masovian Voivodeship (known as a province in many other countries), it became clear to me that Africa lags behind in terms of technology and innovation—hence why we are still classified as a developing continent.
I opened the Bolt app while at the Warsaw Presidential Hotel to see if I could find anything interesting for transport around the countryside. I was surprised to discover that I could hail an electric scooter or a bicycle to get around town. Back home in South Africa, the app only offered vehicles. This discovery made me react with amazement and laughter—witnessing a fully functioning health system in action. After all, the healthier the citizens, the better it is for a country’s public health system and for individuals themselves.
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Poland’s health system under the National Health Fund (NHF), similar to the NHS in other countries, remains unburdened by lung-related illnesses caused by smoking. How do they achieve this?
The locals whom I met on the streets while exploring the city described vaping as the “new electric car” in place of cigarettes.
“Just like Elon Musk’s much-hyped Tesla electric vehicles have become the preferred mode for e-hailing taxis in Poland—though some people have only seen these cars online—vaping has similarly revolutionized smoking habits here. We are perfectly healthy because most of us don’t smoke; those who do are very few. You won’t find cigarette butts on our city streets.”
Although the World Health Organization reports that harm reduction strategies for drugs have yielded significant health benefits worldwide, the battle to regulate smokeless nicotine products remains unresolved in many countries, especially in Africa.
Nonetheless, companies like British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International are committed to efforts aimed at helping consumers quit smoking by 2030, aligning with WHO’s global plan to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths.
This challenge has remained unresolved since cigarette bans were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
