There are fewer smokers than before, but the tobacco industry is resisting and targeting younger people: this is the conclusion of the new WHO report.
The World Health Organization welcomes the steady decline in the number of smokers worldwide.
One in five adults used tobacco in 2022 compared to one in three at the turn of the last century.
According to the latest WHO report, 150 countries have successfully reduced tobacco consumption.
Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, WHO: “This also means that we have 19 million fewer smokers than two years ago. This is the first time we have seen such a decline.”
The World Health Organization estimates that smoking kills eight million people worldwide each year.
Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, WHO: “The region that is a bit of a problem is the European region where especially women are increasing, you know, in certain parts, in certain countries, or remaining at very high levels of tobacco users.”
The report from the UN health agency warns against the tobacco industry’s efforts to attract younger audiences.
According to the WHO, 37 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 use some form of tobacco.
Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, WHO: “Teachers are calling us, especially in the UK, where there has been a 150% increase in cigarette use over the last three years electronic cigarettes by the kids. They’re calling us to say the kids can’t stay for a whole 45-minute lesson anymore, because they need to go out to get, you know, e-cigarettes.”
The WHO nevertheless recommends that electronic cigarettes can be prescribed as a means of facilitating cessation for those who wish to quit smoking.
Most electronic cigarettes are purchased on the Internet and the WHO recommends the installation of barrier devices to prevent children from having access to them.
