The World Health Organization's (WHO) report posted on July 31 on the global tobacco epidemic for 2023 informs that approximately 1.3 mn people worldwide die each year due to exposure to secondhand smoke. These deaths are preventable and result from various diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory, oncological diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
The WHO acknowledges positive changes in tobacco control over the past 15 years, with about 71% of the world's population covered by MPOWER measures – WHO's recommended tobacco control strategies. These measures include monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from tobacco smoke, supporting smoking cessation, warning about tobacco dangers, enforcing advertising bans, and increasing taxes on tobacco products.
During the same period, the global smoking prevalence has declined from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021. The reduction in smoking has potentially saved 300 mn people from becoming smokers.
Despite these improvements, 44 countries with a population of 2.3 bn people have not adopted any MPOWER measures. Tobacco use remains a significant threat to public health, causing 8.7 mn deaths annually.
WHO Global Ambassador Michael Bloomberg warns that although progress has been made, many lives are still at risk.
"Smoking continues to be the world's leading cause of preventable death... The tobacco industry is relentless in both opposing tobacco control legislation and targeting adolescents and children with e-cigarettes and other heated tobacco products,” said Michael Bloomberg.
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