Tobacco control: far from the finish line

Date:

Tobacco control is working—slowly. The number of people smoking worldwide has declined and tobacco-attributable deaths are falling.

This progress is evident in WHO’s fourth report on international tobacco trends, released on Nov 16, which estimates 1·30 billion tobacco users globally in 2020, compared with 1·32 billion in 2015. 60 countries are now on track—versus 32 countries 2 years ago—to achieve the voluntary global target of a 30% reduction in tobacco use between 2010 and 2025.

Such progress is welcome. But as tobacco elimination nears, progress will become more difficult and incremental gains will be harder won. Accelerated advocacy and action are required.
Only a fraction of countries has adopted the comprehensive package of policies under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the MPOWER measures, which include taxation, smoke-free laws, advertising and sponsorship bans, and tobacco dependence treatment. Implementing these policies should remain the priority, especially in WHO’s South-East Asia region, where 29% of the population use tobacco. In China, India, and Indonesia—home to nearly half of all global tobacco users—there must be markedly increased investment and strengthened policy to end smoking and its health impacts.
In their pursuit of tobacco control, governments and practitioners worldwide can draw lessons from the UK example. This month Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the prominent UK anti-smoking organisation, marks its 50th anniversary. When the charity was established by the Royal College of Physicians in 1971, two-thirds of men and four in ten women in the UK smoked. In 2021, just one in six people were cigarette smokers.
The UK has achieved this reduction by introducing tobacco taxation above inflation every year, implementing comprehensive smoke-free laws, requiring tobacco products to be out of sight in shops, mandating large health warnings and plain standardised packaging, and implementing an anti-smuggling scheme that tracks all cigarette products. Smoking prevalence in the UK has declined faster than other global leaders in tobacco control, such as Australia, and far faster than the average for Europe.

Read full article here.

The Lancet – 2021-11-27.

Want More Investigative Content?

Curate RegWatch
Curate RegWatchhttps://regulatorwatch.com
In addition to our original coverage, RegWatch curates top stories on issues and impacts arising from the regulation of economic, social and environmental activity in Canada and the U.S.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

MORE VAPING

Real Threat | Health Minister Unravels Canada’s Tobacco Strategy | RegWatch

Canadian Federal Health Minister Mark Holland is launching a crusade against safer nicotine products, driven by the uncompromising stance of non-profit health groups vehemently...

Vaping Coverage Get it NOW!

Sign Up for Incisive Content!

RegWatch original video is designed to move opinion. Get our videos first and be the first to share.

Your Information will never be shared with any third party