Global Smoking Rates Drop by One-Third in Two Decades, WHO Reports

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, marking its 20th anniversary, is credited with saving millions of lives and reducing smoking-related harm worldwide.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), adopted in 2005, has led to a global reduction in smoking rates by one-third over the past 20 years.
The convention, now ratified by 183 countries, aims to minimize tobacco consumption and its associated health and environmental impacts.
The WHO estimates 7 million annual deaths from direct tobacco use and an additional 1.3 million from secondhand smoke exposure.
The FCTC encourages measures like banning tobacco advertising, increasing taxes, and combating illegal tobacco trade, though calls for stronger efforts persist, particularly in countries like Germany.
Tobacco production significantly harms the environment, with 600 million trees felled and 80 million tons of CO2 emitted annually, alongside substantial water consumption.