Are nicotine trends changing across the world?

~ What the latest WHO reports tell us, and what they don’t ~

A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) gave a mixed picture on tobacco policy adoption, indicating that progress is “uneven” when driving down the use of combustible cigarettes and tobacco use in general. Factors that can support this include government policies and events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected WHO’s ability to collect data during this period to accurately reflect trends. Here we provide some insight on trends in the WHO report, and whether regulations are having the desired effect.

The report from WHO provides a lot of useful data, but it is important to remember that they are snapshots in time rather than the full picture. While the preface for ‘reporting on trends for the prevalence of tobacco use from 2000-2030’ states there has been encouraging progress, it also acknowledges the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in capturing accurate data on what it calls “the tobacco epidemic”.

As this is a 30-year project, the report is useful, but we will not know the full effects of the measures being put in place until we reach further into the future.

Furthermore, poorer countries will not be able to capture data as well as those with more resource. Whilst there’s a lot of data for each individual country, questions remain about who’s capturing that data; whether it’s individual governments or WHO itself. Targets that WHO have set, including reducing the global prevalence of tobacco use by 30% by 2025 relative to 2010, are looming large – and Figure 14 in the accompanying report illustrates this with a lack of reporting from Africa, as well as significant parts of the Middle East and Central and South America[1].

Circumstance

While some aspects are welcome in the overall reduction of smoking use, and the rise of smoking cessation tools, there are still some striking elements, including smoking products being more popular than e-cigarettes. This is largely driven by a lack of regulation in poorer countries – with cigarettes often cheaper than the healthier alternative. Regulation is slowly being introduced, but each individual government needs to take control of their own tobacco measures. Some may suggest bans or higher duties on cigarettes, along with new packaging measures, to encourage people to stop using combustible cigarettes.

Regulation in some markets is not just legislation for tobacco companies to operate under, but also a lever to encourage behavioural change. These changes can vary across the world – some might be happy and encourage vaping, even to the point of prescribing vapes as medicinal products, while others may see it as a danger given the rise in popularity among young people.

With at least 12 million adolescents aged between 13-15 using smokeless tobacco products – when previously they may have turned to alcohol or combustible cigarette use – the current health-conscious generation have led to an increase in vaping. However, it is important that vaping and associated products do not become a gateway to smoking combustible cigarettes, but are used as tools to help those who do smoke to quit.

The biggest driver of smokeless tobacco products is the South East Asian region, who are big advocates of health policy, but it’s also a region at the heart of developing devices and reduced risk products. At Broughton, we are working with companies from countries that are at the forefront of developing new products that are a healthier alternative to cigarettes.

We work with these companies to help bring their products to market across numerous sectors to provide that healthier alternative to combustible cigarettes. Broughton has over 15 years of scientific experience with leading scientific and regulatory experts. To find out more about how Broughton can help bring your product to market,  visit our website.

[1] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240077164