The WHO reports on progress in fighting the tobacco epidemic

Many countries are making progress in the fight against tobacco, but a new report by the World Health Organization shows that some do not deal with nicotine and emerging tobacco products and do not regulate them.

Increased adoption of tobacco control measures recommended by the WHO

More than four times as many people are now covered by at least one tobacco control measure recommended by the WHO compared to 2007. Six MPOWER measures monitor tobacco use and prevention; protection of people from tobacco smoke; providing termination assistance; tobacco hazard warning; enforcing bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and raising tobacco taxes.

About 5.3 billion people are now covered by at least one of these measures – more than four times compared to the 1 billion covered in 2007.

More than half of all countries and half of the world’s population are now covered by at least two MPOWER measures at the highest level of achievement. This reflects an increase of 14 countries and nearly a billion more people than the last 2019 report.

More than half of the world’s population is exposed to tobacco products with graphic health warnings. However, progress has not been made in all MPOWER measures either. Some measures, such as tobacco tax increases, are moving slowly, leaving 49 countries without MPOWER measures adopted.

The threats posed by new nicotine and tobacco products need to be tackled.

The 2021 report presents for the first time new data on electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as ‘e-cigarettes’. The tobacco and related industries that produce these products are often sold to children and adolescents, using thousands of appealing flavors and misleading product claims.

The WHO is concerned that children who use these products are up to three times more likely to use tobacco products in the future. The organization recommends that governments enforce regulations to prevent non-smokers from starting to use them, to prevent the normalization of smoking in the community, and to protect future generations.

“Nicotine is highly addictive. Electronic nicotine delivery systems are harmful and need to be better regulated, ”said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General,“ where they are not banned, governments should adopt appropriate policies to protect their populations from the damage of electronic delivery systems. nicotine, and prevent their uptake by children, adolescents, and other vulnerable groups. ”.

84 countries do not have safeguards to protect against the unregulated proliferation of electronic nicotine delivery systems

Currently, 32 countries have banned the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). A further 79 have enacted at least one partial measure banning the use of these products in public places, banning their advertising, promotion and sponsorship, or requiring the display of health warnings on packaging. This still leaves 84 countries in which they are not regulated or in any way restricted.

Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO’s global ambassador for noncommunicable diseases and injuries and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said: “More than a billion people worldwide continue to smoke. And as cigarette sales fell, tobacco companies aggressively marketed new products — such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products — and lobbied governments to limit their regulation. Their goal is simple: to get the second generation addicted to nicotine. We can’t let that happen. ”

Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of the WHO Department of Health Promotion, highlighted the challenges associated with their regulation. “These products are extremely diverse and are evolving rapidly. The user can change some, so it is difficult to regulate the nicotine concentration and the level of risk. Others are sold as “nicotine-free” but, when tested, often contain an addictive ingredient. Distinguishing nicotine-containing products from nicotine-free products, and even some tobacco-containing products, can be almost impossible. This is just one of the ways the industry is undermining and undermining tobacco control measures. ”

The proportion of people consuming tobacco has fallen in most countries, but population growth means the total number of smokers has remained stubbornly high. Currently, of the estimated billion smokers in the world, about 80% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Tobacco is responsible for the deaths of 8 million people a year, including 1 million due to passive smoking.

Although the ENDS should be regulated to increase public health protection, tobacco control must remain aimed at reducing tobacco use globally. MPOWER and other regulatory measures can be applied to ENDS.

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