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Only four countries – Brazil, Turkey, Mauritius and the Netherlands – have adopted all the anti-tobacco measures recommended by the World Health Organization, which nevertheless welcomes the progress made in the world over the past 15 years.
In a report released on Monday, the World Health Organization highlights the fact that 5.6 billion people – 71% of the world’s population – are now protected by at least one tobacco control measure, five times more than ‘in 2007.
300 million fewer smokers
In 15 years, the global smoking rate has fallen from 22.8% in 2007 to 17.0% in 2021.”Slowly but surely, more and more people are protected against the harmful effects of tobacco“said its director, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement.
The WHO set up its MPOWER program in 2008, a set of measures to help countries reduce the demand for tobacco, around six policies: protect the population against tobacco smoke, increase taxes, monitor consumption, offer help to those who want to quit, warn of the dangers and enforce the ban on tobacco advertising.
The WHO estimates that without the measures taken since by countries, there would be 300 million more smokers in the world today.
“It’s not just numbers. These measures have literally changed our lives“, noted the director of the department of Health Promotion at WHO, Dr Ruediger Krech, at a press conference.
However, 2.3 billion people in 44 countries are still not protected by any of the measures recommended by the WHO, and 53 countries have still not imposed a complete ban on smoking in health care establishments.
Fight back against the tobacco industry
Each year, some 8.7 million people die worldwide from tobacco-related diseases, of which 1.3 million are victims of passive smoking.
But only Brazil, Turkey, Mauritius and the Netherlands have reached the level of best practices with regard to tobacco control, according to the WHO, which denounces the pressure exerted by this industry.
“For eight countries, all that is missing is a policy from the MPOWER program to join the leaders in tobacco control: Spain, Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico and New Zealand“, said Dr. Krech.
“The tobacco industry is a powerful and resourceful industry that even today continues to grow in terms of profits and influence. But we can fight back“, he assured.
During the press conference, the Mauritian Minister of Health, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, explained the need for countries to discuss with the tobacco industry before the implementation of new regulations, for example by setting deadlines for societies have time to adapt.
“Otherwise, the industry is ready to develop all the tactics to fight you“, he said, in videoconference.
According to the WHO, nearly 40% of countries now provide for completely smoke-free enclosed public places.
Some countries go even further, welcomed Dr. Krech: 25 countries, including Australia, have made it illegal to smoke in a car carrying children.