Tobacco use: WHO survey reveals a decline in number of consumers
New Delhi: The fourth global tobacco trends report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), released on Tuesday, has revealed a promising decline in the number of tobacco consumers, from 1.32 billion in 2015 to 1.30 billion in 2020, worldwide.
The study said that 22.3 percent of the global population, comprising 36.7 percent of men and 7.8 percent of women, consumed tobacco in 2020.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “It is very encouraging to see fewer people using tobacco each year and more countries on track to meet global targets.”
“We still have a long way to go, as tobacco companies will use every trick in the book to defend the gigantic profits made from peddling their deadly wares. We encourage all countries to make better use of effective tools available for helping people to quit and save lives,” he added.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) generated comprehensive tobacco control policies against the addictive substance and saved a million lives in 60 countries. They also decided to achieve the global target of reducing tobacco usage to 30 percent by 2025.
Despite being illegal in most countries, nearly 38 million children aged 13-15, including 13 million girls, consume tobacco. The UN agency aims at eradicating tobacco consumption among children.
Meanwhile, 231 million women, aged 55-64, used tobacco in the year 2020.
Africa reported the lowest tobacco use rate from 15 percent in 2010 to 10 percent last year. Though the South Asian region involves the highest consumers at 432 million (29 percent), their consumption rates will decline by 18 percent by 2025.
At least 18 percent of European women consume tobacco and are slowest to refuse the substance, whereas the Western Pacific region houses the highest user rate, with around 45 percent of men consuming it by 2025.
They released the report after the Ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) and the second session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP2) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products wrapped up.
(Avya Mathur)
