London, UK – Countries around the world are intensifying their efforts to combat tobacco use, with several nations implementing smoking bans and restrictions on tobacco and vaping sales. This global initiative, aimed at addressing health concerns and promoting “smoke-free” generations, aligns with the World Economic Forum’s Global Health and Healthcare Strategic Outlook 2023, which provides a roadmap for better healthcare by 2035.
According to World Economic Forum, Following Ireland’s pioneering move in 2004 to ban indoor smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and entertainment venues, a wave of similar policies has emerged globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use is a major public health threat, responsible for over 8 million deaths annually, including 1.2 million from second-hand smoke exposure. In response, countries are tightening legislation around tobacco use, extending bans to outdoor public spaces.
Portugal is aiming for a “smoke-free generation” by 2040, with draft legislation proposed in May to restrict tobacco sales and outdoor smoking in public areas from autumn 2023. The law would prohibit smoking outside bars, restaurants, and public facilities, and from 2025, restrict tobacco sales to licensed tobacconists and airport shops.
Canada is also striving to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% by 2035. Health Canada plans to print warning messages directly on cigarette filters, building on the country’s existing requirement for warning labels on cigarette packaging.
In Australia, Queensland is focusing on creating smoke-free public places, particularly around schools and children’s events, and is considering tighter regulations for e-cigarettes and vaping.
France has announced plans to ban e-cigarettes, as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s vision for a tobacco-free generation by 2030. This includes increasing cigarette prices and expanding smoke-free zones.
Mexico, meanwhile, has introduced one of the world’s strictest anti-tobacco laws, extending a smoking ban to all public spaces and completely prohibiting tobacco promotion.
The UK is planning new legislation to gradually raise the legal age for tobacco purchases annually, with the aim that anyone aged 14 or under will never be able to legally buy cigarettes.
These initiatives represent a significant shift in global health policy, with governments re-evaluating their healthcare systems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic and environmental impacts. The World Economic Forum’s report underscores the need for health systems to adapt and improve for the future, with tobacco control playing a crucial role in this transformation.