Report on Tobacco Control for the Region of the Americas. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: 10 Years Later

Abstract

[Preface]. Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills up to half of those who use it as intended by the manufacturer. Worldwide, it kills one person every six seconds. Tobacco use is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death worldwide as well as for the four most prevalent noncommunicable diseases: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. Global efforts on tobacco control are setting the standard for work to reduce the burden of NCD risk factors, and many of the interventions included in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) can be used to curb other risk factors like ultra-processed food, sugary beverages and harmful use of alcohol. The need for the full implementation of the FCTC has been documented in many international declarations, from the United Nation’s Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases in 2011 to the recently approved 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In the 10 years since the entry into force of the FCTC, the Region of the Americas has advanced significantly in implementing tobacco control policies. Approximately half of the Region’s population is protected by measures such as smoke-free environments (49% of the population) and graphic health warnings (58%). However, other important measures, and specifically the ban on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship, cover less than a quarter of the population. Furthermore only one country has reached the level of tobacco taxes recommended by the World Health Organization. While 30 out of the 35 countries of the Region are Parties to the FCTC, only six countries have implemented at least four of the main measures of the FCTC at its highest level of achievement as established by WHO. It is a matter of grave concern that 11 Parties are yet to implement even one of these measures. Countries that have implemented comprehensive tobacco control measures have shown important decreases in the prevalence of tobacco consumption in their populations. This supports the view that Parties should progressively advance towards full implementation of the FCTC mandates and guidelines, in order to achieve a significant reduction in tobacco consumption so that in turn their populations benefit from improved health outcomes. The immediate and urgent goal is therefore to protect all populations from the epidemic of tobacco-related diseases by the full implementation of the WHO FCTC.