Tobacco report shows progress on anti-smoking policies worldwide
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Measures linked to falling tobacco use worldwide now reach 6.1 billion people - or 75 percent of the global population, according to a report from the World Health Organization.The report, issued at the recent World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, found that 2.6 billion people in 79 countries are covered by smoke-free policies in indoor public places.The report looked at adoption of the WHO's package of tobacco control measures. Introduced in 2008, the measures include monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, warning about tobacco's dangers and enforcing tobacco advertising bans.In 2007, just 15 percent of the world's population was covered by any one tobacco control measure.But though tobacco control measures have been put into practice in 155 countries, the WHO writes, just four countries - Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands and Turkey - have adopted the entire package. Forty countries have not reached best-practice levels with any of their efforts.Large graphic health warnings are now required in 110 countries, compared to just nine when reporting began. But though it remains cost-effective to require graphic images such as diseased organs or barrels of toxic chemicals on tobacco packaging, the WHO writes, they're often left off smokeless tobacco products and emerging nicotine and tobacco products, and should also be rotated to avoid message fatigue.The report was released alongside a data tool that tracks progress between 2007 and 2024."The results speak for themselves: millions of lives saved, smoking rates declining, and a shift in public attitudes toward tobacco control,' writes WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the report.
The WHO estimates that between 2007 and 2023, global average smoking prevalence fell from 22.3 percent to 16.4 percent, with smoking rates falling across country income groups and gender.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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Tobacco report shows progress on anti-smoking policies worldwide
5 July 2025 22:03 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Measures linked to falling tobacco use worldwide now reach 6.1 billion people - or 75 percent of the global population, according to a report from the World Health report, issued at the recent World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, found that 2.6 billion people in 79 countries are covered by smoke-free policies in indoor public report looked at adoption of the WHO's package of tobacco control measures. Introduced in 2008, the measures include monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, warning about tobacco's dangers and enforcing tobacco advertising 2007, just 15 percent of the world's population was covered by any one tobacco control though tobacco control measures have been put into practice in 155 countries, the WHO writes, just four countries - Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands and Turkey - have adopted the entire package. Forty countries have not reached best-practice levels with any of their graphic health warnings are now required in 110 countries, compared to just nine when reporting began. But though it remains cost-effective to require graphic images such as diseased organs or barrels of toxic chemicals on tobacco packaging, the WHO writes, they're often left off smokeless tobacco products and emerging nicotine and tobacco products, and should also be rotated to avoid message report was released alongside a data tool that tracks progress between 2007 and 2024."The results speak for themselves: millions of lives saved, smoking rates declining, and a shift in public attitudes toward tobacco control,' writes WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the report. The WHO estimates that between 2007 and 2023, global average smoking prevalence fell from 22.3 percent to 16.4 percent, with smoking rates falling across country income groups and gender. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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