Approximately 1.3 million individuals lose their lives annually due to exposure to second-hand smoke.
Currently, 79 nations have adopted complete smoke-free policies, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report.
The document, unveiled on Monday during the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, stressed the urgent need to sustain and enhance progress in tobacco regulation as industry interference continues to pose significant obstacles to effective tobacco policy enforcement.
The report highlights the six established measures within the WHO’s MPOWER strategy aimed at reducing tobacco usage, which leads to more than seven million deaths globally each year.
These six WHO MPOWER strategies include: tracking tobacco consumption and prevention efforts; enforcing smoke-free air legislation; providing support for quitting; raising awareness of tobacco dangers through labels and public campaigns; restricting tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and increasing taxes on tobacco products.
According to the report, since 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one of these measures at best-practice level.
“Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just one billion in 2007. Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye.
“Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain,” it noted.
Despite this progress, gaps remain. Forty countries have yet to implement any of the MPOWER strategies at the recommended level, and more than 30 still permit cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.
“Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we.
“By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures. Together, we can end the tobacco epidemic,” said the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
The 2025 report, developed in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, was presented at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, recognising governmental and non-governmental groups making strides in reducing tobacco usage.
“Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use, but there is still a long way to go.
“Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO’s urgent work – and to saving millions more lives together,” said Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries.
The report highlighted significant progress in implementing graphic health warnings—one of the central strategies in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
It stated, “110 countries now require them – up from just 9 in 2007 – protecting 62 per cent of the global population; and 25 countries have adopted plain packaging.”
However, enforcement varies, and packaging for smokeless tobacco products remains inadequately regulated. A new data platform has also been introduced to track country-specific progress between 2007 and 2025.
Although evidence shows the effectiveness of media campaigns, 110 countries have not launched anti-tobacco campaigns since 2022. Nevertheless, 36% of the world’s population now lives in regions where such best-practice campaigns have been carried out—up from 19% in 2022.
WHO encourages nations to fund campaigns that are based on tested messages and proper evaluations.
The report also pointed out that while taxation, cessation programs, and advertising bans have grown, many areas still need substantial improvements.
“Taxation: 134 countries have failed to make cigarettes less affordable. Since 2022, just three have increased taxes to the best-practice level.
“Cessation: Only 33 per cent of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services.
“Advertising bans: Best-practice bans exist in 68 countries, covering over 25 per cent of the global population.
“Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. Today, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free environments, covering one-third of the world’s population. Since 2022, six additional countries (Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Uzbekistan) have adopted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues,” it highlighted.
The report also notes a rise in the regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), with 133 countries now having rules or bans in place—up from 122 in 2022.
Despite this, over 60 countries still lack any regulatory frameworks for ENDS.
WHO has issued a call for swift action in areas where progress is falling behind.
“Governments must act boldly to close remaining gaps, strengthen enforcement, and invest in the proven tools that save lives. WHO calls on all countries to accelerate progress on MPOWER and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco,” said Dr. Ruediger Krech, WHO’s Director of Health Promotion.
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