PARIS: Tobacco use fell by 2.5 percent worldwide a decade after the first global health treaty went into effect, World Health Organization researchers said Wednesday. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s 180 signatories agreed to introduce or boost tobacco taxes, smoke-free zones, warning labels, advertising bans, and programmes to help people kick the nicotine habit. On average, smoking rates across the 126 nations dropped from 24.7 to 22.2 percent over the decade examined. In northern Europe and South America — where governments put in place many of the anti-tobacco measures — smoking rates fell by 7.1 and 6.8 percent, respectively, between 2005 to 2015. Application of the treaty measures was lax to non-existent in most of these regions.

Source: Manila Times March 22, 2017 01:07 UTC