The eighth  WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic has been launched! This report tracks the progress made by countries in tobacco control since 2008 and, for the first time, presents data on electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as ‘e-cigarettes’.The report, co-authored with Bloomberg Philanthropies, notes that the manufacturers of these products, whose range continues to expand, often target children and adolescents with thousands of tempting marketing techniques (16,000 in the report) and reassuring statements.The report shows that, while many countries are making progress in the fight against tobacco, some countries are not addressing or regulating emerging nicotine and tobacco products.

The WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2021, finds that:

• Since 2007, 102 countries have introduced one or more MPOWER measures at the highest level of achievement.
• More than half of all countries are now covered by graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging at best-practice level
• While being the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, taxation is still the MPOWER policy with the lowest population coverage and has not increased from the 13% achieved in 2018.
• Of the 5.3 billion people protected by at least one MPOWER measure, over 4 billion live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (or 65% of all people in LMICs).
• 49 countries have yet to adopt a single MPOWER measure at the highest level of achievement – 41 are LMICs.
• In the world’s 29 low-income countries, 15 today have at least one MPOWER policy in place at best-practice level compared to three in 2007, showing that income level is not a barrier to best-practice tobacco control
• Most high income countries (HICs) (78%) regulate ENDS, and 7% have a ban on sales without any other regulation. Among MICs, 40% regulate ENDS, and 10% have a ban on sales without any other regulation, leaving half of middle income countries (MICs) neither regulating ENDS nor banning their sale. In contrast, 76% of LICs neither regulate ENDS nor ban their sale.

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