Bloomberg Philanthropies-Funded Report on Global Tobacco Epidemic Released By World Health Organization

Report Shows 2.3 Billion People Are Now Covered By At Least One Effective Tobacco Control Measure—More Than A Third of The World’s Population

The results of a Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded global tobacco control report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 2.3 billion people are covered by at least one effective tobacco control measure, an increase from the 1 billion covered in 2008. The report measures country-level adoption of the MPOWER policies that are proven to lower tobacco use including: Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies; Protecting people from tobacco smoke with smoke-free air legislation; Offering help to quit tobacco use; Warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media, Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raising taxes on tobacco.

Since the first WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic was released five years ago, the population covered by at least one effective tobacco control measure has more than doubled to 2.3 billion. Over the same period, 48 countries have taken critical action to put effective tobacco control measures in place. Low and middle-income countries account for 39 of the 48 countries that have made progress on curbing tobacco-use.

While progress is being made, the report also shows that two thirds of the world is not yet protected by a single MPOWER policy, indicating that there is more work to be done to save millions more lives. The report also includes a special focus on bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and found that only 10% of the world’s population lives in a country with a ban on advertising in place. The full report is available at: http://www.who.int/tobacco/

The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use is a $600 million commitment to reduce global tobacco use. The initiative supports evidence-based policies and works to increase awareness of the dangers of tobacco use in low and middle-income countries. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation (CDCF), International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Lung Foundation are all partners in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ mission is to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Public Health, Environment, Education, Government Innovation and the Arts. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2012, $370 million was distributed. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org