Kathmandu: Only four nations have fully embraced all recommended anti-tobacco measures, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO). The countries in question are Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Turkey. The WHO urged other nations to implement recognized measures to combat smoking, including enforcing advertising bans, placing health warnings on cigarette packages, raising tobacco taxes, and providing assistance to those wishing to quit.

The report highlighted that Mauritius and the Netherlands have now joined Brazil and Turkey in adopting all of the WHO's recommended measures. The number of people protected by at least one tobacco control measure has increased significantly, reaching 5.6 billion, or 71 percent of the world's population, up from five times less in 2007. This progress has contributed to a decline in the global smoking prevalence rate from 22.8 percent in 2007 to 17.0 percent in 2021. The WHO estimated that without this decrease, there would be an additional 300 million smokers today.

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, claiming the lives of 8.7 million people annually, including 1.3 million from second-hand smoke inhalation. The report identified eight countries that are one policy step away from joining the leading nations in tobacco control. These countries are Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain.

However, the report also highlighted that 2.3 billion people across 44 countries still lack any WHO anti-tobacco measures. Additionally, 53 countries do not have complete smoking bans in healthcare facilities, a situation deemed "completely unacceptable" by the WHO's health promotion director, Ruediger Krech.

The report also expressed concerns about the insufficient regulation of e-cigarettes worldwide. While 121 countries have implemented some measures addressing e-cigarettes, 74 countries, home to nearly one-third of the global population, have no regulations in place for these products, allowing unrestricted use in public places, lack of labeling requirements, and unrestricted advertising. The report also emphasized that 88 countries, covering 2.3 billion people, have no minimum age requirement for buying e-cigarettes, which raises concerns about the protection of children.

Krech warned that some companies were attempting to hook children onto e-cigarettes and vaping to make them nicotine-dependent, which he called "astonishing." He urged for stricter regulations to protect children from such practices. The report also raised concerns about the tobacco industry's influence on policymaking and emphasized the importance of fighting back against the industry's tactics.

In conclusion, the WHO's report highlighted the progress made in tobacco control efforts but also pointed out the areas where more work is needed. It called on nations to adopt and enforce more comprehensive anti-tobacco measures to protect their populations from the harmful effects of smoking and e-cigarettes.