New Who Report Highlights Tobacco And E-cigarette Trends

The world is smoking less, but nan baccy pandemic is acold from over. A caller WHO world study shows nan number of baccy users has dropped from 1.38 billion successful 2000 to 1.2 billion successful 2024. Since 2010, nan number of group utilizing baccy has dropped by 120 cardinal – a 27% driblet successful comparative terms. Yet, baccy still hooks 1 successful 5 adults worldwide, fuelling millions of preventable deaths each year.

Millions of group are stopping, aliases not taking up, baccy usage acknowledgment to baccy power efforts by countries astir nan world. In consequence to this beardown progress, nan baccy manufacture is fighting backmost pinch caller nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must enactment faster and stronger successful implementing proven baccy power policies."

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

For nan first time, WHO has estimated world e-cigarette usage – and nan numbers are alarming: much than 100 million group worldwide are now vaping. This includes:

• Adults: astatine slightest 86 million users, mostly successful high-income countries.
• Adolescents: astatine slightest 15 million children (13–15 years) already utilizing e-cigarettes. In countries pinch data, children are connected mean 9 times much apt than adults to vape.

The baccy manufacture is introducing an incessant concatenation of caller products and technologies for its purpose to marketplace baccy addiction pinch not conscionable cigarettes but besides e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heated baccy products among others, which each harm people's health, and much worryingly nan wellness of caller generations, younker and adolescents.

"E-cigarettes are fuelling a caller activity of nicotine addiction," said Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department. "They are marketed arsenic harm simplification but, successful reality, are hooking kids connected nicotine earlier and consequence undermining decades of progress."

More women are quitting baccy than men

While location has been a dependable diminution successful baccy usage for some men and women crossed each age-groups during 2000–2024, women person been starring nan complaint to discontinue tobacco. They deed nan world simplification target for 2025 5 years early, reaching nan 30% milestone backmost successful 2020. Prevalence of baccy usage among women dropped from 11% successful 2010 to conscionable 6.6% successful 2024, pinch nan number of female baccy users falling from 277 million successful 2010 to 206 million successful 2024.

By contrast, men are not expected to scope nan extremity until 2031. Today, much than 4 retired of 5 baccy users worldwide are men, pinch conscionable nether 1 billion men still utilizing tobacco. While prevalence among men has fallen from 41.4% successful 2010 to 32.5% successful 2024, nan gait of alteration is excessively slow.

Regional picture

• South-East Asia: Once nan world's hotspot, prevalence among men astir halved – from 70% successful 2000 to 37% successful 2024. The Region unsocial accounts for complete half of nan world decline.
• Africa: Prevalence is nan lowest of each regions astatine 9.5% successful 2024, and nan Region is connected way to meet nan 30% target. However, because of organization growth, nan absolute number of baccy users continues to rise.
• Americas: The Region has achieved a 36% comparative reduction, pinch prevalence dropping to 14% successful 2024, though immoderate countries still deficiency capable data.
• Europe: This is now nan highest-prevalence Region globally, pinch 24.1% of adults utilizing baccy successful 2024, pinch women successful Europe having nan highest world prevalence astatine 17.4%.
• Eastern Mediterranean: Prevalence is 18%, pinch baccy usage continuing to emergence successful immoderate countries.
• Western Pacific: With 22.9% of adults utilizing baccy successful 2024, down from 25.8% successful 2010, nan advancement successful this Region is nan slowest. While women person debased prevalence astatine 2.5%, men person nan highest prevalence of each regions astatine 43.3%.

Actions needed

WHO is urging governments everyplace to measurement up baccy control. This intends afloat implementing and enforcing nan MPOWER package and nan WHO Framework Convention connected Tobacco Control, closing loopholes that let nan baccy and nicotine industries to target children, and regulating caller nicotine products for illustration e-cigarettes. It besides intends raising baccy taxes, banning advertising, and expanding cessation services truthful that millions much group tin quit.

"Nearly 20% of adults group still usage baccy and nicotine products. We cannot fto up now," said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. "The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is nan only measurement to hit nan baccy epidemic."