While tobacco consumption tended to decrease among women, this was not yet the case among men. This is done this year, according to the World Health Organization.
Men represent the vast majority of tobacco users today. A rate of 82%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, for the first time in the world, the number of male smokers has decreased.
For the WHO, the reason for this decline is clear. It is “due to the tougher attitude of governments towards the tobacco industry”, says the director general of the World Health Organization, doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a report released on December 19. “WHO will continue to work closely with countries to ensure that this new trend is maintained,” he continues.
One million fewer smokers in 2020
Over the past twenty years or so, the overall number of smokers has fallen by around 60 million worldwide. But this decline is largely due to women. In fact, 100 million fewer women smoked between 2000 and 2018. However, 40 million more men used tobacco. However, this trend has been halted. According to WHO projections, the number of male smokers will even drop by more than one million in 2020, and five million by 2025.
Goals will not be achieved
“The global reductions show that by introducing measures and strengthening their global action on the basis of current data, countries can protect the well-being of their nationals and their communities,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, director of health promotion at the WHO. However, progress is insufficient. Governments have set themselves a 30% drop in smoking by 2025. However, at the current rate, this drop will only reach 23%. Only 32 countries are able to cross the 30% drop mark. “We must never relax our efforts against tobacco multinationals”, concludes Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
And the electronic cigarette, in all this?
However, the WHO report does not take into account people who have switched to e-cigarettes. The reason is simple: we do not yet know the effects on health. However, this summer, the World Health Organization published a report in which it considers e-cigarettes to be “unquestionably harmful”, while acknowledging that users are less exposed to harmful substances. Unlike the Academy of Medicine in France, for example, the WHO does not recommend opting for electronic cigarettes in order to wean oneself off tobacco.
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