“`html
Global Tobacco Use Declines, But New Nicotine products Fuel a Looming Crisis
Table of Contents
Despite a important drop in overall tobacco use, the World Health Association (WHO) warns the global tobacco epidemic is far from over, with a surge in e-cigarette use – especially among young people – threatening decades of progress. A new WHO report reveals that the number of tobacco users worldwide has fallen from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024, representing a 27% relative reduction as 2010. However, nearly one in five adults globally – roughly 20% of the population – continue to use tobacco, contributing to millions of preventable deaths each year.
A Decade of Progress, A New Threat Emerges
“Millions of people are stopping, or not taking up, tobacco use thanks to tobacco control efforts by countries around the world,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. However, this positive trend is being countered by aggressive marketing of new nicotine and tobacco products, specifically targeting younger generations. For the first time, the WHO has quantified global e-cigarette use, finding a startling figure of over 100 million vapers worldwide.
This breaks down to at least 86 million adult users, concentrated primarily in high-income countries, and alarmingly, at least 15 million adolescents (aged 13-15) already using e-cigarettes. Data indicates that children are, on average, nine times more likely to vape than adults in countries where data is available.
The tobacco Industry’s Evolving Tactics
The tobacco industry is adapting its strategies, shifting focus to new nicotine products and employing tactics reminiscent of those used to promote customary cigarettes. These include appealing flavors, social media marketing, and targeting youth with misleading claims about harm reduction. The WHO report highlights that while the overall prevalence of tobacco use has decreased from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024,the rate of decline is insufficient to meet the target.
Regional Variations in Tobacco Prevalence
The impact of tobacco use varies significantly by region:
- South-East Asia: Once the global epicenter of tobacco use,the region has seen a near halving of prevalence among men,dropping from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024. this region accounts for over half of the global decline in tobacco users.
- Africa: With the lowest prevalence at 9.5% in 2024,Africa is on track to meet the 30% reduction target. Though, population growth is driving an increase in the absolute number of tobacco users.
- Americas: The region has achieved a 36% relative reduction, with prevalence falling to 14% in 2024, though data gaps remain in some countries.
- Europe: Now the region with the highest prevalence globally, at 24.1% in 2024. Women in Europe exhibit the highest global prevalence rate at 17.4%.
- Eastern Mediterranean: Prevalence stands at 18%, with tobacco use continuing to rise in certain countries within the region.
- Western Pacific: Progress in this region is the slowest, with prevalence decreasing from 25.8% in 2010 to 22.9% in 2024. Men in this region have the highest prevalence of all regions,at 43.3%, while women have a low prevalence of 2.5%.
Urgent Call for Strengthened Tobacco Control
The WHO is urging governments worldwide to intensify tobacco control measures. This includes full implementation and enforcement of the MPOWER package and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, closing loopholes exploited by the tobacco and nicotine industries to target children, and robust regulation of new nicotine products like e-cigarettes. Raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, and expanding access to cessation services are also critical steps.
“Nearly 20% of adults still use tobacco and nicotine products. we cannot let 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 the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.” The new report, titled “WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2024 and projections 2025-2030,” is based on data from
