WHO says that countries are failing to implement tobacco controls

The WHO Report of the Global Tobacco Epidemic which is based on data from 179 countries, is the first ever review of global tobacco use and efforts to control it, said WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan at a press conference.

Key findings of the report are that:
- governments still make large amounts of revenue from taxes on tobacco - more than they spend on tobacco control
- low income countries collect 9 000 times the amount in tobacco taxes than they spend on tobacco control
- only 5% of the world's population live in countries that have implemented comprehensive bans on the advertising and promotion of tobacco products
- 40% of countries still allow smoking in schools and hospitals

The report says that raising tobacco taxes is the single most effective thing that countries can do to help to fund tobacco control projects. The organisation recommends MPOWER - a six point plan to control tobacco use:
1 monitor tobacco use
2 protect people from second hand tobacco smoke
3 offer people help to stop smoking
4 provide warnings about the dangers of tobacco use
5 enforce bans on sponsorship and advertising
6 raise taxes on tobacco

The report shows that the global epidemic of tobacco use and tobacco-related disease and death has shifted to the developing world as a result of the industry's targeted advertising campaigns in these countries, to encourage young people and adults to smoke.

See the full report here http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/index.html