WHO: Second-Hand Smoke Claims 1.3 Million Lives Annually

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that second-hand smoke is responsible for the deaths of approximately 1.3 million people each year, according to its latest Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report.

Released during the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, the report called for urgent measures to sustain and advance global tobacco control efforts in the face of rising interference from the tobacco industry.

The report evaluates the global implementation of the WHO’s six-pronged MPOWER strategy, a framework designed to reduce tobacco use. The MPOWER measures include monitoring tobacco use, enforcing smoke-free air laws, providing cessation support, placing strong warnings on packaging, banning tobacco advertising, and increasing tobacco taxes.

According to the report, 79 countries now have comprehensive smoke-free laws, protecting about one-third of the world’s population. Since 2022, six more countries—including Indonesia and Malaysia—have joined this group despite opposition from industry players, especially in the hospitality sector.

It also highlighted that since the MPOWER initiative began in 2007, over 6.1 billion people—roughly 75% of the global population—are now covered by at least one MPOWER measure, up from just one billion in 2007.

Only four countries—Brazil, Mauritius, Türkiye, and the Netherlands—have fully implemented all six MPOWER strategies. Another seven nations, including Ethiopia, Ireland, and Mexico, are just one step away from full compliance.

Despite this progress, the WHO flagged critical gaps: 40 countries still haven’t implemented any MPOWER measure at best-practice levels, and over 30 nations still allow the sale of cigarettes without mandatory health warnings.

“Twenty years after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted, progress has been significant, but the tobacco industry continues to adapt, and we must evolve with it,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.

He called for collective action combining scientific evidence, policy reforms, and political will to end the tobacco epidemic, which still causes over seven million deaths annually.

The report, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, also celebrated successes, particularly in countries implementing graphic health warnings—a method proven to reduce tobacco use by exposing health risks more vividly.

Michael Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases, emphasized that while countries have made progress since his foundation’s involvement began in 2007, more must be done to close remaining gaps.

The WHO criticized inconsistencies in enforcement and noted that smokeless tobacco remains poorly regulated. It revealed that 110 countries have failed to run anti-tobacco media campaigns since 2022, although 36% of the global population now resides in countries with best-practice campaigns—up from 19% in 2022.

WHO’s Director of Health Promotion, Dr. Ruediger Krech, stressed the need for governments to act decisively, strengthen enforcement, and invest in proven life-saving interventions.

The report is accompanied by a new online portal for tracking individual countries’ progress from 2007 to 2025.