Swedes smoking less tobacco

Swedish health officials say the number of people who smoke regularly has dropped by 200,000 in the past five years.

The Swedish National Institute of Public Health said the drop is attributable in large part to the number of women who have quit smoking, The Local newspaper said Monday.

The report, published in Sweden’s Dagen’s Nyheter newspaper, said the number of regular smokers dropped from 19 percent to 14 percent, with reductions seen in nearly all segments of society except for men who were sick or on disability. Their smoking rate increased by 19 percent.

The survey included 50,000 Swedes between the ages of 16 and 84.