Timeline
1920s
1920s
1920s More cigarettes are consumed in Finland than anywhere else in the world.
1940s
1940s
The so-called ration cigarettes distributed to Finnish soldiers during the wars turn men into smokers. After the wars, 76 per cent of Finnish men and 13 per cent of women smoke.
1940s
1950s
1950s
© Lehtikuva / Seppo Saves
1950
Wynder and Graham’s study on the relationship between smoking and lung cancer is published in the United States.
1954
Doll and Hill’s study among English doctors shows that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer.
1950s
1960s
1960s
© Lehtikuva
1960
58% of Finnish men and 14% of women smoke. The Finnish Medical Association publishes a statement announcing that smoking is hazardous to health.
1961
The Finnish Parliament approves a request initiative demanding urgent measures for reducing smoking.
1964
Surgeon General, the highest public health authority in the United States, publishes a study on serious health hazards associated with smoking.
1960s
1970s
1970s
© Lehtikuva / Vesa Klemetti (1979)
1970
44% of Finnish men and 16% of women smoke.
1971
Television advertisements for cigarettes are banned.
1972
The North Karelia Project is launched.
1975
The Government presents a bill to the Parliament regarding reducing smoking. The bill includes, among other things, an advertising ban for tobacco, prohibition on the sale of tobacco products to minors and a smoking ban in public places and on public transport.
1976
The Parliament passes the bill unanimously on 13 August 1976.
1977
The Act on reducing smoking comes into force on 1 March 1977.
1978
The tobacco marketing ban enters into force.
1970s
1980s
1980s
1980
34% of Finnish men and 17% of women smoke.
1988
The first European court process against a tobacco company based on product liability begins in Finland.
1980s
1990s
1990s
1990
33% of Finnish men and 20% of women smoke.
1991
EU directive bans television advertisement of tobacco products.
1992
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) approves a decision prohibiting smoking on all international flights by the year 1996.
1995
Smoking at workplaces is banned by legislation. Restaurants are left outside of the legislation. The age limit of purchasing tobacco products is raised from 16 to 18 years of age.
1990s
2000s
2000s
2000
27% of Finnish men and 23% of women smoke.
The Supreme Court of Finland dismisses the petition in the product liability case: tobacco companies are not ordered to pay damages to smokers who have fallen ill.
2001
The Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EC) is passed in the EU. With this directive, uniform warning labels are added to tobacco packaging in the EU-member states.
2003
191 WHO member states ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, or the FCTC. The EU passes a directive (2003/33/EC) restricting the marketing of tobacco products.
2005
Finland ratifies the FCTC agreement.
2007
All Finnish restaurants become smoke-free – the transition period lasts until 2009.
2008
Paavo Lipponen, the former Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, presented the idea of tobacco-free Finland at the Tobacco and Health event in 2006. A group of prominent figures from the health sector advanced the idea and, in 2008, the Tobacco-free Finland 2040 project, which later became the Tobacco-free Finland 2030 network, was established. 2030 refers to the goal set in the Tobacco Act: that Finland will become tobacco and nicotine-free by the year 2030.
2000s
2010s
2010s
2010
23% of Finnish men and 16% of women smoke. Instead of restricting the harmful effects of smoking, the goal of the Tobacco Act turns to ending the consumption of tobacco products in Finland by the year 2040 (so-called Endgame thinking).
The Helsinki Court of Appeal dismisses petitions against tobacco companies in the so-called light cigarette case. Tobacco companies are once again not ordered to pay damages.
2012
Finnish sales outlets are prohibited from displaying tobacco products.
2014
The European Union passes the updated Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EC) stipulating that tobacco packaging must include health warnings containing image and text.
2015
16% of Finnish men and 12% of women smoke.
2016
The updated version of the Tobacco Act comes into force. The objective of the Tobacco Act is specified further: the objective is to end the use of tobacco products and other nicotine products in Finland by the year 2030.
2010s
2020s
2020s
Menthol is banned as a flavouring of tobacco products.
Tobacco product filters containing plastic included in the Single-use Plastics directive.
Plain tobacco packaking without colours, logos, brand images or promotional information, health warnings included.
Non-smoking playgrounds and beaches.
2020s
2030s
2030s
When the objective of the Tobacco Act is met, less than five per cent of the adult population will consume tobacco or nicotine products on a daily basis.