WHO Report: Tobacco Control Measures Now Safeguard 6.1 Billion People Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) today unveiled its 2025 Global Tobacco Epidemic Report at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, emphasizing the urgent need to sustain and accelerate progress amid growing interference from the tobacco industry.

The report centers around the six MPOWER strategies—evidence-based measures designed to reduce tobacco use, which causes over 7 million deaths annually:

1. Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies;
2. Protecting people from tobacco smoke through smoke-free laws;
3. Offering help to quit tobacco use;
4. Warning about tobacco’s dangers through labels and public campaigns;
5. Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship;
6. Raising taxes on tobacco products.

Since the introduction of MPOWER in 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one measure at the highest recommended level. Today, over 6.1 billion people—roughly three-quarters of the world’s population—are protected by at least one MPOWER policy, up from just 1 billion in 2007. Four countries—Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Türkiye—have fully implemented all six measures, while seven others, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, and Spain, are only one measure short.

Still, significant gaps remain. Forty countries have yet to implement any MPOWER measure at the best-practice level, and more than 30 still allow cigarette sales without health warnings.

“Two decades after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we’ve seen major achievements, but the tobacco industry continues to adapt—so we must evolve too,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “With science, policy, and political resolve, we can end the tobacco epidemic.”

The report, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, was launched alongside the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, which honored governments and NGOs making progress in curbing tobacco use.

“Since 2007, countries have transformed how they approach tobacco control,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “But we still have a long road ahead, and we remain fully committed to saving millions more lives.”

Key Findings from the 2025 Report:

• Graphic health warnings have seen the most progress:
  110 countries now require such warnings—up from just 9 in 2007—reaching 62% of the global population.
  Additionally, 25 countries have adopted plain packaging.
• Enforcement challenges persist, especially with smokeless tobacco products, which remain poorly regulated.
• While anti-tobacco media campaigns have proven effective, 110 countries have not run one since 2022. Nonetheless, 36% of the global population now lives in countries running campaigns aligned with best practices—up from 19% in 2022.
• Tobacco taxation remains weak:
  134 countries have not made cigarettes less affordable, and only three have raised taxes to best-practice levels since 2022.
• Access to cessation services is limited:
  Only 33% of people globally can access cost-covered programs to help them quit.
• Advertising bans at the best-practice level are in place in just 68 countries, covering a little over 25% of the global population.
• About 1.3 million people die annually from second-hand smoke. Currently, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free policies, protecting a third of the world’s population. Since 2022, six additional countries—including Indonesia and Slovenia—have passed strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance.

Rise in E-Cigarette Regulation

There’s also growing momentum in regulating Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) like e-cigarettes. As of 2024, 133 countries have introduced bans or regulations, up from 122 in 2022. Still, more than 60 countries lack any laws governing these products.

Dr. Ruediger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion, called on nations to take decisive action:
“Governments must close policy gaps, step up enforcement, and invest in the proven tools that save lives. Accelerating progress on MPOWER is essential to ensure that no one is left behind in the global fight against tobacco.”