Global tobacco control faces gaps in cessation support and health awareness

Global research highlights significant gaps in tobacco control and public awareness regarding the health risks of smoking. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that while over 80% of tobacco users reside in developing nations, only 31 lower- and middle-income countries provide cessation care that meets the World Health Organization’s MPOWER gold standard. This lack of support leaves approximately 1.3 billion people without sufficient services to help them quit.

Additionally, a large-scale study involving 240,000 smokers across 46 countries found that awareness of cardiovascular risks remains low. While most smokers recognize the link between smoking and lung cancer, significantly fewer are aware of its connection to heart disease and stroke. In several high-income nations, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany, fewer than half of adult smokers understood that second-hand smoke contributes to heart attacks or heart disease. Researchers noted that despite two decades of global tobacco control efforts, there has been almost no progress in public knowledge regarding these specific cardiovascular harms.