The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that only four countries – Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Turkey – have fully adopted all recommended anti-tobacco measures in the fight against smoking.
In a recent report, WHO called on countries to expand the use of recognized measures to reduce tobacco use, such as advertising bans, health warnings on cigarette packages, higher tobacco taxes, and assistance for quitting.
Mauritius and the Netherlands have now joined Brazil and Turkey in implementing all recommended measures.
WHO stated that 5.6 billion people, or 71% of the world’s population, are now protected by at least one tobacco control measure, a significant increase from 2007.
The global prevalence of smoking has decreased from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021, preventing around 300 million additional smokers.
However, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, claiming 8.7 million lives annually, including 1.3 million from inhaling second-hand smoke. Eight countries, including Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, and New Zealand, are one step away from joining the leaders in tobacco control, while 2.3 billion people in 44 countries remain unprotected by any WHO anti-tobacco measures.
The report also highlighted the lack of sufficient regulation of e-cigarettes globally, with 74 countries having no regulations addressing e-cigarettes, and 88 countries having no minimum age for buying them. Some companies are trying to attract children to e-cigarettes and vaping, making them nicotine-dependent.
The Mauritian Health Minister suggested that it would be better to get the tobacco industry on board before changing the law. Overall, WHO aims to support national efforts to protect people from the deadly consequences of tobacco use.
Despite progress in tobacco control measures, there are still significant challenges in curbing smoking and protecting public health worldwide. The report highlights the need for stronger regulations on e-cigarettes and targeted efforts to prevent tobacco companies from targeting children.