A new report, endorsed by 57 civil society organizations worldwide, warns that global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and political conflict have significantly compromised the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These challenges have contributed to an estimated 95 million additional tobacco users who would have otherwise quit by 2025.
Les Hagen, executive director of ASH Canada and lead author of the report, said that while the global tobacco control movement remains resilient, it is not immune to broader global instability. He credited 20 years of FCTC implementation for preventing even greater setbacks.
The report, which focuses on Target 3a of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — the implementation of the FCTC — was recently submitted to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). ECOSOC is set to review progress on SDG Goal 3, which covers good health and well-being, including tobacco control, in July.
Dr. Rakesh Gupta, chair of the tobacco control section at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, emphasized that tobacco control efforts extend beyond health, contributing to poverty reduction, environmental protection, improved labor conditions, and social justice.
The report also spotlights the persistent influence of the tobacco industry on governments and policymakers, which continues to undermine FCTC implementation. Article 5.3 of the treaty obliges countries to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.
Lilia Olifer, director of the Smoke-Free Partnership, stressed that countries must enforce Article 5.3 to curb corporate interference and enhance compliance with the treaty. She called tobacco companies “the poster child of corporate misbehaviour.”
Among its key recommendations, the report urges participating countries to adopt high-impact tobacco control policies, including tax increases, smoke-free laws, graphic warnings, advertising bans, and using tobacco tax revenues to fund national tobacco control programs. Collaboration with civil society is also encouraged to accelerate progress.
Dr. Gan Quan, senior vice-president of tobacco control at Vital Strategies, noted that these policy measures are both cost-effective and impactful. He called for countries to increase tobacco taxes not only to reduce consumption but also to generate sustainable funding for health programs.
The report draws on data from the Global Tobacco Control Progress Hub, an open-access platform developed by ASH Canada and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The platform is funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
The FCTC, adopted in 2005, remains one of the most widely embraced public health treaties, with 183 countries ratifying it. Its implementation has saved millions of lives by curbing tobacco use worldwide.
