Geneva: The world is witnessing a significant decline in smoking rates, yet the tobacco epidemic persists, leaving one in five adults ensnared in addiction. A recent global report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates a drop in the number of tobacco users from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. This marks a 27% decrease in relative terms since 2010, with 120 million fewer individuals using tobacco. Despite these improvements, tobacco addiction continues to contribute to millions of preventable deaths annually.

According to Emirates News Agency, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, highlighted the impact of tobacco control efforts worldwide, noting that many people are either quitting or avoiding tobacco use. However, he warned that the tobacco industry is retaliating with new nicotine products, specifically targeting young people. Dr. Ghebreyesus urged governments to enforce tobacco control policies more aggressively.

For the first time, WHO has estimated the global use of e-cigarettes, revealing that over 100 million people are now vaping. Among these, at least 86 million are adults, predominantly in high-income countries, while 15 million adolescents aged 13-15 are already using e-cigarettes. In regions where data is available, children are found to be nine times more likely to vape than adults.

The tobacco industry continues to innovate with new products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products. These developments pose health risks not only to current users but also to future generations, particularly youth and adolescents. Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department, stated that e-cigarettes are driving a new wave of nicotine addiction, contrary to their marketing as harm-reduction tools.

The report also highlights a steady decline in tobacco use among both men and women across all age groups from 2000 to 2024. Women, in particular, have shown significant progress, achieving the global reduction target for 2025 five years early. The prevalence of tobacco use among women dropped from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024, with female tobacco users decreasing from 277 million to 206 million during this period.

In contrast, men are not projected to reach the reduction target until 2031. Presently, men constitute more than four out of five tobacco users globally, with nearly 1 billion men still using tobacco. While male tobacco use has declined from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024, the rate of change remains insufficient.