Since 2005, governments representing 86% of the world’s population have ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the global public health treaty. Yet, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization, nearly five years later less than 10% of the world’s population is covered by any one of the six WHO MPOWER measures to reduce tobacco use.

The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2009: Implementing smoke-free
environments summarises progress to date in implementing MPOWER. The report highlights
the progress that has been made in implementing the second measure of MPOWER: Protect
people from tobacco smoke.
Key findings of the report show that
1) While most people are not protected from second-hand smoke, an additional 2.3 per
cent of the world’s population – 154 million people – were covered by new smoke-free
laws in 2008. Most live in low- and middle-income countries.
2) Of the 100 biggest cities in the world, 22 are now smoke-free. However, overall,
compliance is low. Only 2 per cent of people worldwide live in countries where
smokefree laws are fully implemented.
3) 90 per cent of the world’s population are still exposed to tobacco industry marketing.
“Obviously we still have a lot of work to do”, says Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of the
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, which has been active in
tobacco control for 25 years. “The FCTC is a visionary document – the world’s first public
health treaty – but making it a reality is a highly complex process. Today’s report shows us
how far we have to go and the MPOWER measures show us where we need to focus”.
At The Union, the strategy is to advance towards a smoke-free world, country by country,
city by city. As a partner in the $365-million Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use
since 2007, The Union’s Department of Tobacco Control has seen significant successes
using this approach.
· In China, home to one-third of the world’s smokers, the 2008 Summer Olympics offered
a tremendous opportunity to boost public awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and
second-hand smoke. The Union supported smoking bans in public places in Beijing and
five other cities, including all Olympic venues.
· To address the hazards of second-hand smoke in Mexico City, The Union worked with
the local government during implementation of a city-wide smoke-free law. Since the law
came into force on 3 April 2008, exposure to second-hand smoke has fallen significantly.
The economic impact has been positive or neutral on restaurants and cantina
businesses, which were initially wary of the law.
· In Turkey, where one in every two people is a smoker, the government passed a
nationwide smoke-free law on 3 January 2008. Union experts advised the Turkish PRESS RELEASE
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Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior and other government agencies as they moved
through the legislative process and implementation of 100% smokefree places in July
2009.
“The Union’s experience supports the findings in today’s report: smoke-free laws are
achievable in low- and middle-income countries“, said Sinéad Jones, Director of The Union’s
Tobacco Control Department. “But the need for still greater change is urgent. If current
trends are not reversed, one billion people will die from tobacco use by the end of this
century -- 80 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries. Smoke-free laws are
essential to protect people from the dangers of second-hand tobacco smoke“.