WHO Report: 6.1 Billion Protected by Tobacco Control
- Dublin-The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report at the World Conference on Tobacco control today, emphasizing the urgent need to bolster tobacco...
- The report focuses on the WHO's MPOWER tobacco control measures, designed to reduce tobacco use, a habit that claims over 7 million lives annually.
- Since 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one MPOWER measure at the best-practice level.
The World health Association (WHO) is urging nations to accelerate tobacco control measures as they fight increasing industry interference. A new report reveals that strong policies now protect over 6.1 billion people globally, a significant milestone in the battle against tobacco use. This success is built upon the MPOWER strategy, which includes measures like graphic health warnings and e-cigarette regulation, but thereS still work to be done. Learn how the report highlights the progress made since 2007, with more countries implementing best practices, yet gaps persist. News Directory 3 delivers this critical analysis. Discover what’s next for global tobacco control efforts.
WHO: Global Tobacco Control Efforts Need Acceleration
Updated June 24, 2025
Dublin-The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report at the World Conference on Tobacco control today, emphasizing the urgent need to bolster tobacco control measures. The report highlights that increasing interference from the tobacco industry is undermining progress in tobacco policies and control efforts.
The report focuses on the WHO’s MPOWER tobacco control measures, designed to reduce tobacco use, a habit that claims over 7 million lives annually. These measures include monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from smoke, offering cessation help, warning about tobacco dangers, enforcing advertising bans, and raising tobacco taxes.The WHO urges countries to strengthen tobacco control and ensure no one is left behind in these efforts.
Since 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one MPOWER measure at the best-practice level. Currently, over 6.1 billion people-three-quarters of the global population-are protected by at least one such policy,a significant increase from just 1 billion in 2007. Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Türkiye have fully implemented the MPOWER package. Seven more countries, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, and Spain, are one measure away from achieving full implementation, marking the highest level of tobacco control.
Despite these gains, significant gaps remain. Forty countries still lack any MPOWER measures at the best-practice level, and over 30 countries permit cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings. The report underscores the importance of graphic health warnings, a key component of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Currently, 110 countries require such warnings, up from just nine in 2007, protecting 62% of the global population. Additionally, 25 countries have adopted plain packaging.
However, the WHO cautions that enforcement is inconsistent, and regulations for smokeless tobacco packaging remain inadequate. A new data portal tracks country-by-country progress from 2007 to 2025.
While 36% of the global population now lives in countries with best-practice anti-tobacco campaigns, 110 countries have not conducted such campaigns as 2022.The WHO urges countries to invest in tested and evaluated campaigns. Taxation, cessation services, and advertising bans are expanding, but further improvements are needed. For example, 134 countries have not made cigarettes less affordable, and only 33% of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services.
Comprehensive smoke-free environments are in place in 79 countries, covering one-third of the world’s population. since 2022, six additional countries-Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan-have enacted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues.
Regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, is on the rise.The number of countries regulating or banning ENDS has increased from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, signaling growing concern about these products. still, over 60 countries lack any regulations on ENDS.
“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,” said Dr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-General. “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 was launched during the 2025 bloomberg Philanthrop