Twenty years after the European Union ratified the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a new WHO/Europe report indicates that tobacco continues to cause more than 500,000 deaths each year across the EU.
According to the WHO, “tobacco use in the EU is gradually declining, but every year it keeps killing more than half a million people. Of these, almost 80,000 die from exposure to second-hand smoke.”
Reflecting on the progress since the convention was adopted, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, recalled the purpose of the framework. He noted that “twenty years ago, the EU adopted this landmark United Nations convention and built its internal legal pillars in alignment with the WHO FCTC vision to save lives and protect all people from the wide-ranging health risks of tobacco use from cancer and cardiovascular diseases to tuberculosis and dementia.”
However, he acknowledged that the challenge remains substantial. He pointed out that “after decades of policy action across the 27 EU Member States, the overall burden of tobacco in Europe remains immense, with large variations between countries.” In this context, he said the upcoming WHO European Program of Work 2026–2030 is intended to renew and reinforce coordinated action on noncommunicable disease risk factors, including tobacco.
The report shows that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable and premature death linked to noncommunicable diseases in the EU, accounting for around 17% of such deaths.
Kristina Mauer-Stender, WHO/Europe Regional Advisor for Tobacco Control, highlighted the importance of policy updates. She explained that “the WHO/Europe report stresses that to address current regulatory gaps and ensure long-term public health protection, a revised and future-oriented Tobacco Products Directive is needed.”
She also emphasized the influence of the tobacco industry, warning that “without robust safeguards, regulatory processes remain vulnerable to industry tactics that undermine public health objectives. Full implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC remains essential to drive further progress.”
The report further warns of a sharp rise in youth use of e-cigarettes and nicotine products, identifying this trend as a direct threat to past public health achievements.
