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Sweden is getting close to becoming the first "smoke-free" country in the European Union (EU).
瑞典即將成為歐盟第一個“無煙”國家。
The country of 10.5 million people has had the lowest percentage of smokers in the EU for many years.
這個擁有1050萬人口的國家多年來一直是歐盟吸煙者比例最低的國家。
A country is "smoke-free" if less than five percent of the population smokes daily.
如果一個國家每天吸煙的人口少于5%，那么這個國家就是“無煙國家”。
Only 6.4 percent of Swedes over the age of 15 were daily smokers in 2019.
2019年，15歲以上的瑞典人中只有6.4%的人每天吸煙。
That was the lowest percentage in the EU.
這是歐盟最低的比例。
The Eurostat statistics agency says that across the 27 countries of the EU, the average was 18.5 percent.
歐盟統計局表示，歐盟27個國家的平均值為18.5%。
Data from the Public Health Agency of Sweden show that the smoking rate has continued to fall, reaching 5.6 percent last year.
瑞典公共衛生署的數據顯示，吸煙率繼續下降，去年達到5.6%。
"We like a healthy way to live, I think that's the reason," said Carina Astorsson, who lives in Stockholm.
住在斯德哥爾摩的卡琳娜·阿斯托森說：“我們喜歡健康的生活方式，我想這就是原因所在”。
Smoking never interested her, she added, because "I don't like the smell; I want to take care of my body."
她補充說，她對吸煙從不感興趣，因為“我不喜歡煙味；我想照顧好自己的身體。”
Sweden says its anti-smoking actions improve health in several ways, including a lower rate of lung cancer.
瑞典表示，其禁煙行動在多個方面改善了居民的健康狀況，其中包括降低了肺癌發病率。
Ulrika Arehed is secretary-general of the Swedish Cancer Society.
烏里卡·阿雷德是瑞典癌癥協會的秘書長。
She said Sweden was early to limit smoking in public places such as school playgrounds.
她說，瑞典很早就開始限制在學校操場等公共場所吸煙。
Later, the country added smoking bans for outdoor restaurants and bus stations.
后來，該國又在戶外餐廳和公交車站增設了禁煙令。
The country also increased taxes on cigarettes and changed rules on how they can be sold.
該國還增加了香煙稅，并改變了香煙銷售規定。
However, other forms of tobacco remain popular in Sweden.
然而，其他形式的煙草在瑞典仍然很受歡迎。
Snus is a wet tobacco powder placed in the mouth next to the teeth.
鼻煙是一種濕的煙草粉末，放在嘴里靠近牙齒的地方。
Snus makers say their products help reduce cigarette smoking.
鼻煙制造商表示，他們的產品有助于減少吸煙。
But health officials say snus is another product that makes people addicted to nicotine, the main drug in tobacco.
但衛生官員表示，鼻煙是另一種使人們對尼古丁上癮的產品，尼古丁是煙草中的主要成分。
"It is true that smoking is more harmful than most things you can do, including snus. But…there are many health risks even with snus," said Arehed.
阿雷德說：“吸煙確實比你能做的大多數事情都更有害，包括吸鼻煙。但吸鼻煙也有很多健康風險。”
Snus is such a popular part of Swedish culture that the country demanded an exemption to the EU's ban on smokeless tobacco when it joined the EU in 1995.
鼻煙是瑞典文化中非常受歡迎的一部分，以至于瑞典在1995年加入歐盟時要求歐盟豁免對無煙煙草的禁令。
Patrik Hildingsson is a spokesman for Swedish Match, Sweden's top snus maker.
帕特里克·希爾丁森是瑞典最大的鼻煙制造商瑞典火柴公司的發言人。
He said officials should urge the tobacco industry to develop less harmful choices to smoking such as snus and e-cigarettes.
他說，官員們應該敦促煙草行業開發出危害較小的選擇，如鼻煙和電子煙。
If snus and similar products are included, the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that more than 20 percent of adults in Sweden use tobacco.
如果將鼻煙和類似產品包括在內，世界衛生組織指出，瑞典超過20%的成年人使用煙草。
This brings Sweden close to the world average.
這使瑞典接近世界平均水平。
"Switching from one harmful product to another is not a solution," the WHO said in an email to The Associated Press.
世界衛生組織在給美聯社發送的一封電子郵件中說：“從一種有害產品轉向另一種有害產品并不是解決辦法。”
Tove Marina Sohlberg is a researcher at Stockholm University's Department of Public Health Sciences.
托芙·瑪麗娜·索爾伯格是斯德哥爾摩大學公共衛生科學系的研究員。
She said Sweden's anti-smoking rules have pushed smokers away from public spaces.
她說，瑞典的禁煙規定迫使吸煙者遠離公共場所。
"We are sending signals to the smokers that this is not accepted by society," she said.
她說：“我們正在向吸煙者發出信號，這是不被社會接受的。”
The WHO marked "World No Tobacco Day" on Wednesday.
周三，世界衛生組織慶祝“世界無煙日”。
I'm Ashley Thompson.
阿什利·湯普森為您播報。
譯文為可可英語翻譯，未經授權請勿轉載！
