1 of 5 adults still dependent on tobacco

The world smokes less, but the epidemic of tobacco is not over yet. New WHO GLOBAL REPORT Displays the number of tobacco users dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, the number of people who used tobacco has fallen by 120 million – which is 27% of relative conditions. However, tobacco still beats one of five adults around the world, and every year it encourages millions of deaths that can be prevented.

“Millions of people stop or do not take over tobacco thanks to the efforts to control tobacco by countries around the world,” said Dr. Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus, who is the Director General. “In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is struggling with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in the implementation of proven tobacco control policies.”

For the first time, which evaluated the global use of e-cigarettes, numbers are alarming: more than 100 million people around the world are now crying out. This includes:

• Adults: At least 86 million users, mainly in high -income countries.
• Adolescents: At least 15 million children (13-15 years) already use e-cigarettes. In the countries with data, children are on average nine times more likely that adults will cry.

The tobacco industry introduces a constant chain of new products and technologies for its aim of the tobacco dependence market not only cigarettes, but also e-cigarettes, nicotine bags, heated tobacco products, among others, which harm to people's health, and even more health of new generations, youth and adolescents.

“E-cigarettes encourage a new wave of nicotine addiction,” said Etienne Circle, which is the director of health provisions, the Department of Promotion and Prevention. “They are marketed as a reduction in damage, but in reality they previously connect children to nicotine and risk the decade of progress.”

More women leave tobacco than men

Although there was a constant drop in tobacco use for both men and women in all age groups during 2000-2024, women were charged with giving up tobacco. They achieved a global goal of reduction in 2025 five years ago, reaching 30% turning point back in 2020. The prevalence of tobacco use among women fell from 11% in 2010 to only 6.6% in 2024, and the number of female tobacco users fell from 277 million in 2010 to 206 million in 2024.

In contrast, it is not expected that men will reach a goal by 2031. Today, more than four of the five tobacco users around the world are men, and just under billion men are still using tobacco. While the prevalence among men fell from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024, the tempo change is too slow.

Regional image

• Southeast Asia: Once a worldwide focal point, a prevalence among men has almost halved – from 70% in 2000 to 37% at 2024. The region itself makes more than half of a global fall.
• Africa: The prevalence is the lowest of all regions to 9.5% in 2024, and the region is on the way to fill the goal of 30%. However, due to the population growth, the absolute number of tobacco users continues to grow.
• American: The region has achieved a relative reduction of 36%, and the prevalence has fallen to 14% in 2024, although some countries still do not have enough data.
• Europe: This is now a region with the world's largest worldwide, and 24.1% of adults use tobacco 2024, and women in Europe have the highest global prevalence to 17.4%.
• Eastern Mediterranean: The prevalence is 18%, and the use of tobacco is still growing in some countries.
• Western Pacific: With 22.9% of adults who used tobacco 2024, which is less than 25.8% in 2010, progress in this region is the slowest. While women have a low prevalence of 2.5%, men have the highest prevalence of all regions to 43.3%.

The necessary actions

Who calls in governments everywhere to enhance tobacco control. This means fully implementing and implementing the MPOWER packages and the Convention on the WHO frame on tobacco control, closing the holes that allow the tobacco and nicotine industry to target children and regulate new nicotine products like e-cigarettes. This also means lifting tobacco taxes, forbidding advertising and expanding the services of termination so millions of more people can leave.

“Almost 20% of adults are still using tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot give up now,” said Jeremy Farrar, who is the assistant general director for promoting health and prevention and care for the disease. “The world has made a gain, but a stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.”

Note to the editors

Finds a new report called “WHO GLOBAL REPORT ON TRANSPORT TRANSPORT OF Tobacco Use 2000-2024 and projections 2025-2030“We are based on 2034 national studies, covering 97% of the global population. Data support global SDG targeting 3.a and a Global Action Plan WHO NCD, which aimed at 30% relatively reduction of tobacco use by 2025. The current progress: 27% reduction, reduction for 50 million users.