Tobacco kills millions each year and costs society trillions of dollars. Yet we have the proven tools to fight this scourge at every single stage of a tobacco product’s existence. It is up to us— governments, civil society, and researchers, among others— to take the initiative to use these interventions vigorously. The Tobacco Atlas is a resource to help us understand both the problems and their solutions.
The global tobacco industry has recently consolidated through privatization, acquisitions and mergers—now only 5 firms control 80% of the global cigarette market. These firms have automated and consolidated their own factories, steadily driving down the number of employees.
Tobacco taxation is the most effective single tobacco control intervention. Effective taxation drives up prices on tobacco products, thereby driving down consumption. Unfortunately, it is also one of the least implemented tools. Governments need to make far better use of this strategy
Tobacco’s annual costs are more than 7 million lives and $2 trillion (PPP) in healthcare and lost productivity.
View the issuesWe have proven interventions to affect all stages of the tobacco cycle. It is now a question of using them decisively.
View the solutionsNumber of Deaths
Million US dollars in tobacco-related
costs to the economy
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Marketing
Tobacco control wants to prevent tobacco marketing from taking the focus away from death and disease.
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Prevalence
Despite overall prevalence declines in many countries, there are alarming increases among youth and in low-HDI countries
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Health Effects
Tobacco use damages the whole body and a regular smoker typically loses more than a decade of life
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Comorbidities
Tobacco use significantly worsens other major health challenges such as tuberculosis, HIV infection and mental illness.
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Countering the Industry
Governments must anticipate the tobacco industry’s actions to derail tobacco control and counter them at every level.
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Quitting
Quitting tobacco has significant immediate and long-term benefits no matter the smoker’s age.
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Smoke-free
Comprehensive protection from tobacco smoke should be a pillar of all countries’ tobacco control program.
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Taxes
Taxing tobacco products to make them less affordable is the most effective but the least used tobacco control tool.
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Cigarette tax increases are a logical first step in raising revenue for COVID-19 recovery
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Brazil’s illicit cigarette trade surveillance is a model to follow
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Measuring Illicit Trade Accurately is Key to Successful Tobacco Control
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Estimating illicit trade in tobacco products just got more simple
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Blowing the Lid Off of Tobacco and Heart Health: A WHO Tobacco and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Knowledge Summary
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Price elasticity or affordability elasticity? A puzzle solved for practitioners of tobacco taxation
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Research shows that Pakistan is more than ready for a significant tobacco excise tax increase
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Bans on Flavored Cigarettes Should Be Universally Embraced — And Include Menthol
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What does the experimental evidence say about whether e-cigarettes help people quit smoking?
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Tobacco 21 Policies: Raising the Minimum Age of Sale of Tobacco to Curb Youth Smoking