The center is a collaboration between the nonprofit Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Canada and the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , which monitors the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – a global treaty aimed at reducing smoking.
Photo: Reuters
It found that between 2020 and 2022, implementation of the treaty's six core, high-impact measures slowed, including tax increases, advertising and promotion bans, and smoking bans in public places.
Les Hagen, CEO of ASH Canada, said while the pandemic has understandably distracted governments, the slowdown is “concerning” and called on countries to step up efforts. He warned that the halt in the rollout could have “serious consequences for millions of people around the world , especially if it is prolonged.”
The analysis is based on countries’ self-reporting to WHO, Hagen said. Two-thirds of countries reported no improvement or deterioration in implementation of key tobacco policies, while only one-third reported improvement.
The largest declines were recorded in low-income countries, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Southeast Asia, the center said.
Six key policies have been shown to reduce smoking rates when implemented, Hagen said, adding that as a result, millions of people who would otherwise have quit smoking are still likely to smoke.
WHO says tobacco kills up to half of users who don't quit.
A separate report from STOP, a network of public health and academic organizations, and the Center for Good Governance for Global Tobacco Control, released last week also found a decline in countries' enforcement of another aspect of the WHO treaty aimed at preventing tobacco industry interference.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters, CNA)
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