Are People Smoking Less and Less?
According to new findings published in the journal Tobacco Control, more than 53 million people in 88 countries have stopped smoking between 2008 – 2014 because of tobacco control measures.
Statistically, this means that during the 4-year period over 22 million smoking-related deaths have been prevented.
The study, carried out by researchers at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, builds upon their previous work which found that, between 2007 – 2010, 7.4 million smoking-related deaths had been averted across 41 countries due to the implementation of tobacco control measures.
The latest findings demonstrate the increasing success of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Indeed, lead researcher on the project Dr. David Levy notes that they “can help those countries [...] which have not yet undertaken life-saving tobacco control measures […] better understand the powerful public health impact they offer”.
As of January 2015, 186 participating countries (representing 95.8% of the world’s population) had ratified the WHO FCTC. Ten remaining countries, including the United States, do not yet participate.