Sweden bans smokers from bars, snus makers rejoice

By Daniel Frykholm

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The makers of "snus," a smokeless tobacco product banned in most of the EU, looked forward to new sales in Sweden Wednesday after the government banned smoking in restaurants.

The Nordic country is the fourth in Europe to follow the example of Ireland, where a smoking ban in pubs, restaurants and workplaces was introduced in March last year.

The move has been largely welcome in public health-conscious Sweden, with opinion polls showing 85 percent support for an end to smoking in restaurants.

"You still go out mainly to get drunk. The smoking is just a bonus," Otto Gabrielsson, a 23-year-old Swede told Reuters late Tuesday in a downtown Stockholm bar.

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