Europe Now Holds Lead in Tobacco Use as Global Rates Decline
BRUSSELS -โฃ Europe is now experiencing โslower declines in tobaccoโฃ use compared to the rest of the โคworld,positioning it as a global outlier in the fight against โขsmoking,according to new โdataโฃ released by theโ Worldโ Health Organization โ(WHO).While worldwideโค tobacco prevalence is falling, the rateโ of decrease in Europe is lagging, raising concerns about public health efforts across the continent.
Currently,approximately 1.2 billion people โขworldwide aged โ15 and older use tobacco.โ However, Europe’s progress in โคreducing smoking rates has stalled relative toโฃ other โขregions, prompting renewed scrutiny of preventative measures and cessation programs. This shift is particularly notable as the WHO and European Union officialsโฃ work towardsโ ambitious targets for a โค”smoke-free generation.”
The WHO’s European region,โ encompassing 53 countries including Russia, reflects this trend. โฃRecent findings alignโ with a June 2024 Eurobarometer survey, which revealed that 24 percent of individuals within the European โฃUnion currently smoke โฃtobacco.
Historically, tobaccoโ prevalence โขin Europe has decreased from โขnearly 35 percent in โ2000 โto just over 24 percent in 2020. This contrasts sharply with Southeast Asia, โขwhere consumption has plummeted โfrom aroundโ 54 percent to over 23 percent during the same timeframe.
Alongside traditional tobacco use, the report also โhighlightsโฃ the growing prevalence of vaping.โข In 2024, over 86โ million adults worldwide vape, with theโข Americas and Europe exhibiting the highest rates amongโ those โคaged โค15 and over, at 4.8 percent and 4.6โข percent respectively. These figures underscore the evolving landscape ofโข nicotine โฃconsumption and the needโข for โขcomprehensive policies addressing both smoking โขand vaping.