Many governments are making progress in the fight against tobacco, with 5 billion people today living in countries that have introduced smoking bans, graphic warnings on packaging and other effective tobacco control measures - four times more people than a decade ago. But a new WHO report shows many countries are still not adequately implementing policies, including helping people quit tobacco, that can save lives from tobacco.

The seventh WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic analyses national efforts to implement the most effective measures from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) that are proven to reduce demand for tobacco.

These measures, like the “MPOWER” interventions, have been shown to save lives and reduce costs from averted healthcare expenditure. The MPOWER report was launched in 2007 to promote government action on six tobacco control strategies in-line with the WHO FCTC to:

• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies.

• Protect people from tobacco smoke.

• Offer help to quit tobacco use.

• Warn people about the dangers of tobacco.

• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

• Raise taxes on tobacco.

Executive summary

The executive summary (English, Portuguese and Spanish) provides a 4-page selection of key data and facts from the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2019.