Approximately 1.3 million people lose their lives to secondhand smoke each year. According to a World Health Organization report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025, 79 nations have enacted comprehensive smoke-free legislation as of right now. As a growing industry meddles threaten tobacco regulations and control efforts, the research, which was presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin on Monday, cautioned that action is required to sustain and accelerate gains in tobacco control.
The study concentrates on the six WHO MPOWER tobacco control strategies that are effective in lowering tobacco use, which takes more than seven million lives annually: The WHO MPOWER initiative is keeping an eye on tobacco use and prevention policies, enforcing prohibitions on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, offering assistance to people who want to stop using tobacco, protecting people from tobacco smoke through smoke-free air laws, and raising tobacco taxes.
According to the report, 155 nations have adopted at least one WHO MPOWER tobacco control action since 2007 to lower tobacco use at the level of best practices. Compared to just one billion in 2007, more than 6.1 billion individuals, or three-quarters of the world's population, are now protected by at least one such program. Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the Netherlands), and Turkey are the four nations that have fully adopted the MPOWER package.
It stated that seven nations—Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, and Spain—are only one step away from fully implementing the MPOWER package, which represents the highest level of tobacco control.
There are significant gaps, too, since over 30 nations permit the sale of cigarettes without the requirement for health warnings, and 40 countries still lack MPOWER measures at the best-practice level.
We have a lot to be proud of in the 20 years since the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted, but we also need to keep up with the tobacco industry's constant evolution.
By combining research, policy, and political will, we can make tobacco less of a cause of death, economic harm, and future theft. “By working together, we can put an end to the tobacco epidemic,” stated Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. During the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, the WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report—which was created with Bloomberg Philanthropies' assistance—was unveiled.
The honors honored a number of countries and non-governmental organizations for their efforts to lower tobacco usage. "There has been a significant shift in how nations prevent tobacco use since Bloomberg Philanthropies began supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, but much more work needs to be done," stated Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries. "Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO's urgent work – and to saving millions more lives together."
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control's vivid health warnings, which make the dangers of tobacco unavoidable, have seen the most notable advancements, according to the WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 study.
According to the report, "25 countries have adopted plain packaging, and 110 countries now require them – up from just 9 in 2007 – protecting 62% of the global population." WHO cautions, however, that packaging for smokeless tobacco is still not adequately regulated and that enforcement is uneven. A new data site that measures development per nation from 2007 to 2025 is included in the new report.
Despite their success, anti-tobacco initiatives have been discontinued in 110 countries since 2022. Yet, compared to just 19% in 2022, 36% of the world's population now resides in nations that have implemented best-practice campaigns. WHO encourages nations to fund projects that have been tested and proven to work.
It pointed out that while taxes, stop services, and advertising prohibitions have been growing, much more needs to be done. Taxation: 134 nations have not succeeded in lowering the cost of cigarettes. Only three have raised taxes to the level of best practices since 2022. Cessation: Only 33% of persons worldwide have access to paid cessation therapies.Advertising restrictions: More than 25% of the world's population lives in 68 nations with best-practice bans.
Approximately 1.3 million people lose their lives to secondhand smoke each year. Currently, 79 nations—representing one-third of the global population—have completely banned smoking. Despite opposition from the industry, especially in hospitality settings, six more nations—the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan—have enacted strict smoke-free regulations since 2022, the report noted.
It emphasized that there has been an increasing trend to restrict the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigarettes. The number of nations that have banned or regulated ENDS has increased from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, which is a strong indication that these products are receiving more attention.
Nevertheless, there is still no ENDS legislation in more than 60 countries. In areas where progress is slowing, WHO is urging immediate action. "To narrow the remaining gaps, bolster enforcement, and invest in the tried-and-true life-saving technologies, governments must take decisive action.
In order to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco, WHO urges all nations to expedite MPOWER development, said Dr. Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion.
