Tobacco Control

Tobacco use is the largest preventable cancer risk factor. While global cigarette consumption and overall prevalence have been declining recently, success has been uneven. In countries with vigorous tobacco control policies, tobacco use has typically declined more.

In recent years, tobacco control proponents have developed a proven set of tools to address the challenges of tobacco use. These measures comprise the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which boasts more than 180 Parties. (Map 1) The treaty’s provisions include increasing tobacco excise taxes, creating smoke-free environments, and putting strict restrictions on tobacco product marketing and graphic warning labels on tobacco packaging.

Taxing tobacco aggressively has proven to be the most effective tobacco control measure. The mechanism is simple: governments put high excise taxes on tobacco products, tobacco companies raise prices to protect profits, and consumers react to higher prices by quitting, not initiating or reducing tobacco consumption. Importantly, young and/or lower-income people are more likely to be affected. (Figure 1) Through tobacco taxes, countries enjoy the benefits of lower consumption through higher productivity and lower healthcare costs, and tax revenues increase. Reinvesting these revenues in health can further enhance the effects.

Graphic warning labels and plain packaging on tobacco products can counteract tobacco marketing efforts. In 2012, Australia moved beyond the gold standard of large, graphic warning labels on tobacco packaging by legislating plain standardized packages. Gone are the logos and color themes that even young children can identify around the world. (Map 2)

Tobacco firms’ success relies on their ability to present tobacco use as cool and glamorous. Most recently, firms have re-doubled their efforts to sell to young women and girls. To combat this, the health community must constantly remind people that smokers lose on average 11 years of life, and more than half of long-term smokers die prematurely from tobacco-attributable disease.

Finally, it is in countries where broad communities seeking improved social welfare— including health, human rights, and environment, among others—are speaking out loudly against tobacco that tobacco use is waning most.