Policy view: worldwide patterns of tobacco use with recommendations for tobacco control

Abstract

The global epidemic of tobacco-related diseases continues to be a major health and economic issue. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), adopted in 2003, is a legally binding treaty aimed at reducing the demand for and supply of tobacco products, with 183 Parties, comprising countries and the EU, covering more than 90% of the world's population. This Policy View presents an analysis of the global patterns of tobacco use, the effects of the WHO FCTC and measures implemented for tobacco control, barriers to progress, and the principal ways forward. Our paper focuses on the overarching challenge of uneven WHO FCTC and tobacco control implementation across countries and policy domains, as well as related implementation barriers of insufficient funding and tobacco industry interference in policy development and implementation. The necessary response is the concerted application of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 protections against the political and scientific practices of the tobacco industry and its affiliates. This response to industry's interference needs to be supported by efforts to increase funding and strengthen political will to act in favour of health. A further challenge is the aggressive commercial marketing—particularly to young people and with unproven health claims—of new tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products, and new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes. This issue needs to be met with the extension of tobacco control measures to these newproducts and concerted efforts to prevent industry interference.