WHO releases its 2025 report on the global tobacco epidemic

At the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin from 23 to 25 June 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented its report on the global tobacco epidemic 2025, highlighting the urgency of maintaining and accelerating efforts to control tobacco and nicotine products in the face of growing industry interference.[1]Organized by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, with support from the Irish government, the World Health Organization, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the conference brings together hundreds of delegates from governments, health organizations, research institutions, and civil society from around the world.

Progress in the global fight against tobacco

The WHO report draws on the six key measures of the MPOWER program (Monitoring, Protecting, Offering, Warning, Enforcing, Raising), which aim to reduce tobacco consumption, responsible for more than 7 million preventable premature deaths each year.

These measures include monitoring tobacco consumption and prevention policies, protecting the population from exposure to passive smoking through smoking bans, offering smoking cessation support, placing health warnings on packets, media information campaigns, banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and increasing taxes on tobacco products.

Since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of these measures at a level considered exemplary. By 2025, more than 6.1 billion people, or three-quarters of the world's population, will be protected by at least one MPOWER measure, compared to 1 billion in 2007.

Four countries—Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Turkey—have implemented the full MPOWER package. Seven others—Spain, Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Slovenia—are only one step away from this maximum level of protection.

Major advances include graphic health warnings, now required in 110 countries (compared to 9 in 2007), covering 62% of the world's population, or 5 billion people; the adoption of plain packaging has taken place in 25 countries. The extension of smoking bans in public places concerns 79 countries, or 2.6 billion people now benefiting from smoke-free transport, workplaces and public spaces.[2]Since 2022, six other countries—the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia—have adopted strict smoke-free laws, despite resistance from the industry, particularly in hospitality establishments.

Added to this is an increase in regulations relating to electronic cigarettes (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems or "ENDS"), with 133 countries having adopted measures in this area, compared to 122 in 2022.

Faced with many remaining challenges, health stakeholders call for action

Despite the progress made, the WHO 2025 report highlights persistent gaps. Forty countries still do not have any MPOWER measures implemented at an exemplary level.

Furthermore, in more than 30 countries, cigarettes can still be sold without mandatory health warnings. According to Dr. Rüdiger Krech, who heads the WHO's health promotion department, one of the most effective measures is the mandatory display of images on cigarette packages and in large-scale awareness campaigns showing the physical health consequences of smoking (clogged lungs, risk of heart attack, damaged teeth, etc.). These visuals, he says, " reduce the appeal of tobacco products; they encourage users to quit and discourage young people from starting ".

Since 2022, 110 countries have not conducted any anti-smoking campaigns, although the proportion of the global population exposed to exemplary campaigns has increased from 19% to 36%.

Furthermore, only 3 countries have increased cigarette taxes since 2022, compared to 134 countries that " do not follow the WHO recommendation to tax tobacco at 75 %, although it is a tool with a very high impact on consumption " explains Dr. Vinayak Mohan Prasad, a tobacco control expert at the WHO. The report highlights the slow progress in this area, with the proportion of countries complying with good practices increasing from 13 % in 2018 to 15 % in 2024.

Only 33% of the world's population has access to supported cessation services. Complete advertising bans are enforced in only 68 countries, covering barely 25% of the world's population. Furthermore, 1.3 million people still die each year from secondhand smoke. Finally, more than 60 countries have no regulations on e-cigarettes.

In light of this situation, WHO calls for urgent action to close the gaps, requiring strengthening law enforcement and investing in proven measures.

" Twenty years after the entry into force of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we must continue to evolve, taking into account the strategies of the tobacco industry ", said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “ By combining science, public policy and political will, we can create a tobacco-free world. ".

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador, added that " Since 2007, tremendous progress has been made, but the fight is far from over. Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to working with the WHO to save millions of lives. ".

Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, responded by explaining that she believes tobacco control policies offer governments a proven, cost-effective strategy to combat noncommunicable diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They save millions of lives and reduce health care costs by billions. She believes governments should fully implement these policies and prioritize the health and lives of their citizens ahead of tobacco industry profits.[3].

During the conference, WHO announced the launch of an interactive data portal tracking country-by-country progress between 2007 and 2025, to promote transparency, mutual learning and accountability in the global fight against tobacco.

Finally, experts warned against the growth of the market for new products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches (also known as "nicopouches" or "nicopods") or heated tobacco, which are still insufficiently covered by preventive legislation and which allow manufacturers to retain new customers. The CNCT itself warned a few weeks ago about the emergence of 6-methyl-nicotine, a new addictive threat in vaping products and oral pouches, which is part of the strategy deployed by manufacturers to develop their markets.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AD

[1]Geneva: World Health Organization, WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2025: warning about the dangers of tobacco, published June 23, 2025, accessed June 24, 2025

[2]Brother Pauline, Worldwide, 6 billion people benefit from anti-smoking measures, Le Figaro, published June 23, 2025, consulted June 24, 2025

[3]Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, WHO Report Shows Major Progress in Global Fight Against Tobacco, but Industry Remains Obstacle to Greater Gains, published June 23, 2025, accessed June 24, 2025

National Committee Against Smoking |