Experts Call for a “Smoke-Free World” by 2040

　　According to a roundup of foreign media reports by this site, top public health policy experts from around the world recently published a series of articles in The Lancet, jointly calling for the global phase-out of tobacco sales by 2040. They noted that with strong support and action against the tobacco industry, it may be possible to achieve a “smoke-free world” within 30 years (defined as less than 5% of adults using tobacco). The series was released at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, held on March 17.

　　The experts pointed out that unless tobacco use control is accelerated, 1 billion people could die from smoking or other forms of tobacco use by the end of this century. More than 80% of these deaths would occur in low- and middle-income countries.

　　Professor Robert Beaglehole of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, said: “Now is the time for the world to recognize just how serious the harm caused by the tobacco industry is, and to take urgent action to abolish the sale of both legal and illegal tobacco products. This requires the contribution and full support of governments, international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, as well as civil society groups.”

　 　The experts said that more than a decade after the adoption of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), only 15% of the world’s population has been covered by smoking cessation programs. In addition, although research shows that raising tobacco prices through taxation is the most effective way to reduce consumption, the tobacco tax levels recommended by the convention cover less than one-tenth of the global population. During the same period, 50 million people died from tobacco use, showing that the convention alone is not enough to effectively achieve the goal of reducing tobacco use.

　 　Research published in the series by Professor Kenji Shibuya of the University of Tokyo, Japan, shows that although global smoking rates are declining slowly overall, tobacco use prevalence will actually increase in some countries over the next decade, especially in Africa and the Middle East. In addition, due to global population growth, there will still be more than 1 billion smokers by 2025 unless effective global action against tobacco is accelerated.

　　Although the convention has been successfully implemented in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Finland, and the United Kingdom, the experts said that global tobacco control still needs stronger leadership. They called for intensified efforts to advance implementation of the convention in countries where tobacco control progress has been slow, including incorporating tobacco reduction targets into the global Sustainable Development Goals, and urged the United Nations to take a leading role in promoting the elimination of tobacco sales and use worldwide and at the national level.

    It is worth noting that the proposals made by the above experts are aimed at traditional tobacco, while e-cigarettes, as newer and potentially less harmful technology products, should become increasingly popular.