“Tobacco use is one of the top threats to human health, killing half the people who use it,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, marking World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on 31 May.

“When we reduce people’s exposure to tobacco advertising, we reduce the likelihood that they will start to use tobacco,” he said.

Tobacco is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. By 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that it will kill more than 8 million people every year, with four out of five of these deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

Most users start consuming tobacco before the age of 20, making young people a key target of tobacco advertising. Worldwide, 78 per cent of young people aged 13-15 report regular exposure to some form of tobacco promotion.

“Tobacco use ranks right at the very top of the list of universal threats to health yet is entirely preventable,” said WHO’s Director-General Margaret Chan. “Governments must make it their top priority to stop the tobacco industry’s shameless manipulation of young people and women, in particular, to recruit the next generation of nicotine addicts.”

WHO research has shown that bans on tobacco advertising are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, with countries that have already introduced these measures showing an average 7 per cent reduction in tobacco consumption.

While bans are highly effective, WHO stressed that legislation needs to be comprehensive, as there are multiple ways to target potential smokers including placement of tobacco products in films and television, engaging trendsetters to influence people, handing out branded products that attract youth, and using media such as pro-smoking mobile applications and online discussions with tobacco industry members posing as consumers to sway conversations.

WHO’s report on the global tobacco epidemic 2011 shows that only 19 countries have reached the highest level of achievement in banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and that more than one third of countries have minimal or no restrictions at all.

Mr. Ban and Ms. Chan urged countries to live up to their commitments under the WHO Framework Conventions on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and implement comprehensive bans on all tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship.

The FCTC requires parties to introduce a comprehensive ban of all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship within five years of the entry into force of the Framework Convention for that party. Adopted in 2003, the FCTC now has 176 Parties, covering 88 per cent of the world’s population.

“In recent years, multinational tobacco companies have been shamelessly fuelling a series of legal actions against governments that have been at the forefront of the war against tobacco. The industry is now stepping out of the shadows and into court rooms,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “We must now stand together with these governments that have had the courage to do the right thing to protect their citizens.”

More countries are moving to fully meet their obligations under the 2003 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Governments are working to create 100% smoke-free, enclosed work and public places; to inform the public of tobacco harms through large and strong pictorial warning on tobacco packages; and to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. The tobacco industry however, is hard at work to undermine the treaty, including taking governments to court. In fact, the governments of Australia, Norway and Uruguay are currently battling tobacco industry law suits in their national courts.

Tobacco kills up to half its users. By 2030, WHO estimates that tobacco will kill more than 8 million people every year, with four out of five of these deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. Tobacco is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardio-vascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. NCDs account for 63% of all deaths worldwide.

In nonsmokers, exposure to secondhand smoke is estimated to kill another 600 000 people annually. Almost half of all children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke and more than 40% of children have at least one smoking parent. In 2004, children accounted for nearly one third of deaths attributable to secondhand smoke.

Most adult smokers started the habit before the age 20. To recruit new smokers, the industry’s relentless marketing machinery targets youth, especially young women.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It was adopted in 2003 and now has 175 Parties.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that came into force in 2005 requires parties to restrict tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion, set new labelling and clean indoor air controls and strengthen laws against tobacco smuggling.

The new report by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), entitled “Mortality Attributable to Tobacco,” shows that five per cent of all deaths from communicable diseases worldwide and 14 per cent of deaths resulting from non-communicable illnesses among adults aged 30 and above were attributable to tobacco use.

“Although many people associate tobacco with non-communicable diseases such as cancers, heart and respiratory diseases, tobacco is also a major cause of communicable diseases – tuberculosis being a case in point where the disease is at times in latent or dormant state until activated by tobacco use,” said Ala Alwan, the WHO Assistant Director-General in charge of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health, in a forward to the report.

The regions with the highest number of deaths related to the use of tobacco are the Americas and Europe where tobacco use has been in use longer, according to the report.

Globally, deaths from tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases were more likely to occur among younger adults. Thirty-eight per cent of deaths of adults resulting from ischemic heart disease in the 30-44 age group were attributable to tobacco, while 71 per cent of all lung cancer deaths were linked to the use of tobacco.

“The five million deaths translate to an incredible statistic – one death every six seconds,” said Dr. Alwan. “Unless strong actions are taken to halt the tobacco epidemic, one billion people are projected to die this century – we cannot let this happen,” he added, urging all countries to implement the Convention on tobacco control.

The report contains country-specific estimates including death rates attributable to tobacco. It is intended to help countries assess the mortality of tobacco use and measure the success of efforts to discourage the use of the substance.

It follows the 2008 WHO report on the issue, which prompted some Member States to request the agency to consider generating estimates to give them an indication of their progress in combating tobacco use.