Tobacco causes nearly a third of cancer deaths in the WHO European Region

With 9.6 million deaths in 2018, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide.[1]. Although caused by multiple risk factors, smoking is responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths worldwide. It is linked to at least 17 types of cancer.[2]. In 2018, 27% of all cancers in the European Region[3] of the WHO were attributed to smoking. The burden of cancer continues to grow worldwide.Globally, 2.4 million cancer deaths each year are caused by the use of tobacco products.» - WHO Cancer Report, 2020. Lung cancer is the most common cancer, with one of the lowest survival rates. 85% of lung cancer deaths were attributable to smoking in 2018 in the WHO European Region. The good news is that lung cancer is largely preventable, and nearly nine out of ten lung cancers can be prevented if current smokers quit. This means that tobacco control is a priority in strategies to reduce cancer risk factors. On February 4, 2020, WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer released two reports:

• The WHO report on cancer: setting priorities, investing wisely and providing care for all (in English)
• The World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention (in English)

The reports highlight a wide range of interventions that have been shown to prevent new cancer cases. One of the priorities set out in the reports is to "strengthen tobacco control to reduce cancer deaths by 25%" through the implementation of "good practices."[4] WHO's non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and control programme ©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/402777/Tobacco-Trends-Report-ENG-WEB.pdf?ua=1 [2] https://www.fondation-arc.org/facteurs-risque-cancer/tabac [3] https://www.who.int/about/regions/euro/fr/ [4] https://www.who.int/ncds/management/best-buys/fr/ | ©National Committee Against Smoking |