GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Sweden has long made it a goal to have a smoke-free society, pushing snus and smokeless nicotine products as a safer alternative to cigarettes.

Smoking has been the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. for decades, and its effects on public health are well documented.

But a strong tobacco and nicotine lobby, combined with gaps in data and long-term research about the safety of smokeless products, have raised questions about whether the means will truly lead to the end.

“I think that they have kind of let that drive politics in a really strong manner,” said Louise Adermark, a professor in the University of Gothenburg’s department of pharmacology, referring to Sweden’s enthusiastic embrace of snus and smokeless products. “That has also led us to this situa

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