By 2030, countries in Europe and Central Asia, which make up the WHO European Region, could retain the highest prevalence of tobacco use in the world, according to a WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic.
The region, which includes 53 countries, is seeing a slowdown in progress in reducing smoking among women and girls. It is expected that by 2030, this region will have the highest rates of tobacco use. Every year, there are about 1.1 million deaths from non-communicable diseases related to smoking.
Currently, 62 million women in the region use tobacco, representing 40% of the world’s adult female smokers. At the same time, girls aged 13–15 have the highest rates of tobacco use among their peers in the world.
In total, about four million adolescents in Europe and Central Asia have the habit. Students aged 13–15 are also the world’s most frequent users of e-cigarettes, with usage rates almost equal for boys and girls. The region has the second highest prevalence of e-cigarette use among adults in the world.
The European Region is the only WHO region not projected to reduce smoking rates among women by 30% by 2025. Early estimates suggest a reduction of only about 12%.
“European girls aged 13–15 now have the highest rates of tobacco use among their age group in the world. This is not a coincidence, but the result of a targeted industry strategy – through flavoured products and sophisticated social media marketing. Countries like Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands are proving that resistance can be made – by regulating new products, banning flavourings and restricting advertising. Every country in the region must do the same to protect future generations,” said WHO Regional Director Hans-Henri P. Kluge.
The WHO notes that most countries in the region have implemented monitoring systems and health warning requirements, but other anti-tobacco measures are unevenly implemented. Only 18 of 53 countries have a complete ban on smoking in all public places, and in 19 countries cigarettes have become more accessible than in 2014.
