Reacción a "WHO report on tobacco control warns of industry interference"

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first major international public health agreement promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the aim of preventing more than 8 million premature deaths caused annually by tobacco worldwide.

The main measures proposed by the WHO for the prevention and control of tobacco use are summarised in the acronym MPOWER, which stands for the following six lines of action: monitor tobacco use, protect people from tobacco smoke, offer help to quit smoking, warn about the risks of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, and raise taxes on tobacco.

The WHO's recently published 2025 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic shows that 155 countries have implemented at least one of the six MPOWER measures since the adoption of the FCTC, protecting 6.1 billion people, or 75% of the world's population, from tobacco. The WHO also estimates that there are currently 300 million fewer smokers worldwide than in 2008.

The WHO report highlights the high level of implementation of most of the MPOWER measures in Spain, although there are areas where progress could be made. For example, although in Spain—as in the rest of the European Union—it is mandatory to include illustrations and warnings about the effects of tobacco on cigarette packets, plain packaging has not yet been approved. Worldwide, 25 countries have successfully adopted plain tobacco packaging, which consists of providing all cigarette packets with uniform packaging regardless of brand, making tobacco less attractive and improving the perception of health warnings. This has been shown to reduce smoking initiation among adolescents and encourage smokers to quit.

Similarly, although Spain subjects tobacco products to a tax regime that contributes to higher retail prices, and has even recently approved a special tax on other nicotine products such as electronic cigarettes, the report shows that cigarettes are more affordable today than in 2014.

In short, the 2025 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic shows the progress made over two decades to reduce the impact of tobacco on public health both globally and in Spain, while highlighting the urgent need to adopt proven measures such as plain packaging and tobacco price increases, as various organisations such as the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking have been calling for in our country.