In the past few years, we have witnessed great successes in reducing smoking rates globally, especially in countries where smokers had many alternatives to choose from. In the UK for example, Public Health England, an agency of the Ministry of Health, actively recommended smokers to switch to e-cigarettes. That allowed for very progressive frameworks on vaping to be introduced. Due to these policies, the UK has seen much better results in reducing smoking compared to more restrictive countries.

In the UK, smoking rates have fallen by 25% since 2013 (when vaping became popular). By contrast, in Australia, which has some of the world’s toughest vaping regulations, smoking rates fell by just 8% in the same period. Due to the openness towards snus, a form of smokeless tobacco, Sweden reports the lowest adult smoking rate in the developed world, at just 7% (while it remains banned elsewhere in the European Union). The result is lower rates of smoking-induced illnesses. Norway experienced similar success due to its relaxed approach to snus regulation.

Instead of celebrating declining numbers of smokers and far fewer deaths, many governments, public health agencies and anti-smoking activists have been on the hunt for new enemies. They decided to scapegoat nicotine, and as a result, the fight against smoking gradually transformed into a fight against nicotine. Such an approach has dire consequences: fewer people switching to less harmful alternatives.

It is time to end the war on nicotine. Here are six main reasons why.