Regional Report on Tobacco Control, 2016

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.