WHO Says New Tobacco Control Strategies Protect 6.1 Billion People
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that 6.1 billion people or three quarters of global population are now protected by at least one best-practice tobacco control policy, a substantial increase from 1 billion in 2007.
The WHO revealed this in its 2025 report on the Global Tobacco released at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin on Monday.
It warned that action is needed to maintain and accelerate progress in tobacco control as rising industry interference challenges tobacco policies and control efforts.
The report focuses on the six proven WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use, which claims over seven million lives a year.
The WHO MPOWER control measures include, monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, protecting people from tobacco smoke through smoke-free air legislation, offering help to quit tobacco use.
Others are, warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media, enforcing bans on tobacco advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship, and raising taxes on tobacco.
The report also noted that since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of the WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use at best-practice level.
The report read partly, “Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just one billion in 2007.
“Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands and Türkiye.
“Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain.”
It however, added that there are major gaps as 40 countries still have no MPOWER measure at best-practice level noting that more than 30 countries allow cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.
The report quoted the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, saying, “Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we.
“By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures. Together, we can end the tobacco epidemic.”
The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report, developed with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, was launched during the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control.
The awards celebrated several governments and non-governmental organizations making progress to reduce tobacco use.
According to the Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries, Michael Bloomberg, “Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use, but there is still a long way to go.”
He added that Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO’s urgent work, and to saving millions more lives together.
The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report reveals that the most striking gains have been in graphic health warnings, one of the key measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that make the harms of tobacco impossible to ignore.
The global health body warns, however, that enforcement is inconsistent, and smokeless tobacco packaging remains poorly regulated. The new report is accompanied by a new data portal that tracks country-by-country progress between 2007 and 2025.
It also lamented that despite their effectiveness, 110 countries haven’t run anti-tobacco campaigns since 2022, though 36 per cent of the global population now lives in countries that have run best-practice campaigns, up from just 19 per cent in 2022.
WHO urges countries to invest in message-tested and evaluated campaigns, adding that taxes, quit services and advertising bans have been expanding, though many improvements are needed.
The report also revealed that around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. It added today, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free environments, covering one-third of the world’s population.
It also highlighted that since 2022, six additional countries (Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Uzbekistan) have adopted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues.
It further emphasised that there has been a growing trend to regulate the use of e-cigarettes or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, and the number of countries regulating or banning ENDS has grown from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, a clear signal of increased attention to these products.
It however, noted that over 60 countries still lack any regulations on ENDS.
The World Health Organization however, urges governments to act boldly to close remaining gaps, strengthen enforcement, and invest in proven tools that save lives. The organization also calls on all countries to accelerate progress on MPOWER and ensure no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco.
WHO Says New Tobacco Control Strategies Protect 6.1 Billion People is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
