Smoke-free laws are beneficial for everyone: for non-smokers because they protect them from the negative consequences of second and thirdhand smoke, and for smokers because they create environments that make it easier to stop smoking.

There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) from combustible tobacco products. It can cause severe and fatal diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and adverse reproductive effects.

The global tobacco control strategy is framed by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a treaty that covers 90% of the world’s population and includes a comprehensive set of obligations to implement supply- and demand-side measures to end the global tobacco epidemic.

Research suggests that smoking worsens outcomes for many individuals fighting COVID-19.

It is vital to counter positive and misleading tobacco industry messages about tobacco use by educating people about the real harms.

Though quitting tobacco has significant immediate and long-term health benefits, most countries provide little support for cessation.

The data are clear: tobacco control is working, but there is more work to do.

Cigarette sales continue to dominate the global tobacco product marketplace, though the total number of cigarettes smoked worldwide has been decreasing slowly.