Yesterday, Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) results from 14 different countries were published in The Lancet, providing the first-ever internationally standardized assessment of the burden of tobacco. Global Adult Tobacco Survey, or GATS, is the largest tobacco use prevalence study, and provides unprecedented high-quality information about tobacco use worldwide. This survey was conducted in 14 countries comprising more than 3 billion people and representing 54% of the world’s population.

The staggering data from these 14 countries reveals that nearly half (59%) of all men and over 10% of women are tobacco users. Additionally, results show that tobacco use is even higher in some specific gender and age groups within countries. For example, two-thirds of Chinese males age 45-54 are current smokers. Although women generally use tobacco at lower rates than men, women are starting to smoke at an increasingly younger age. Poland (24%) and Russia (21%) showed the highest rates of female tobacco use.

Tobacco kills 6 million people annually. The international public health community is gaining momentum to put tobacco control measures in place, and this GATS data is a crucial impetus in this movement. 

On Wednesday, July 25th, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) launched a collective media campaign promoting helmet use in Cambodia. The campaign is directed at all drivers of motorized two and three wheeled vehicles, as well as their passengers. 

“Wear a helmet, anywhere and anytime” is the message aimed at motorcyclists. The campaign hopes to show the serious health and legal consequences that riding without a helmet can have for both drivers and passengers. In 2010, according to the Road Crash Victim Information System (RCVIS), there were 18,287 casualties on Cambodia’s roads that resulted in 6,718 severe injuries and 1,816 deaths; the great majority of those incidents involved motorcycle drivers.

A major supplement of the campaign is the provision of breath-analyzers and other essential equipment to support the traffic police in enforcing helmet use as well as assist them in cracking down on drinking and driving. Both the campaign and the supply of equipment are part of the Road Safety in 10 Countries (RS10) Project. 

The campaign and equipment are being funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. “We have an ambitious goal: we want to reduce the number of road traffic related fatalities worldwide,” said Ms. Kelly Larson. “And we know that improving road safety in Cambodia will help us to achieve our goal. With this campaign we are complementing the efforts done so far and informing the public that more enforcement and stricter laws are about to come.”

On Monday, July 16, the President of Vietnam, Truong Tan Sang, signed into law a comprehensive tobacco control bill. The law mandates 100% smoke-free environments in almost all public places, including restaurants in Vietnam. It also requires 50% of tobacco package surfaces to have graphic pictorial warnings, while also strengthening the nation’s advertising ban. Mike Bloomberg visited Vietnam earlier this year and had this to say about the news:

“I want to congratulate Vietnam for officially going smoke-free. Last week, Vietnam adopted a comprehensive tobacco control law which makes virtually all public places 100% smoke-free and requires vivid health warnings on all tobacco packages. These are proven practices that Bloomberg Philanthropies advocates through its work to reduce tobacco use,” said Michael Bloomberg. “Tobacco control is a key initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies because we know reducing smoking and exposure to second hand smoke saves lives. This significant step in Vietnam, where we have been working since 2007, is encouraging for tobacco control efforts globally. I visited Vietnam in March and spoke with the Prime Minister about this important issue and I want to applaud him and the other government leaders for their strong commitment to saving lives and standing up for the health of the people of Vietnam.”

(Source: mikebloomberg.com)

In India, more and more states are taking the large, but necessary step of banning the sale of gutka. On Wednesday, the state of Rajasthan joined Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh as the sixth state to ban the sale of the chewing tobacco. This cheap, mass-produced mix of tobacco and other ingredients is creating an epidemic across India. Last week, Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, became the fourth state to make the sale of gutka illegal. With the highest rate in the world, this tobacco filled drug is the cause of 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancer ever year, and has over five million Indian children are addicted to tobacco. The ban on this chewing tobacco is an important one for anti-tobacco efforts worldwide.  Read more about the ruling here. And for more information about the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use visit here: http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=3A9E3B81-C29C-7CA2-F32D97DE06EC82C7 

A new study – funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and appearing in the journal Tobacco Control — found that worldwide smoking rates could be reduced by 44 percent in only 20 years if countries immediately adopt the proven tobacco-control policies developed by the World Health Organization and implemented via the Bloomberg Initiative on Global Tobacco Control. These policies, collectively known as the MPOWER package, include higher tobacco taxes, programs to help smokers quit, advertising bans and anti-tobacco education programs.

Kelly Henning, M.D., director of Public Health Programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies said, “We know when MPOWER measures are implemented, the results are clear: fewer people use tobacco and they live longer, healthier lives. This research clearly shows just how effective these policies can be if they are broadly adopted. We are proud of the progress to date of the Bloomberg Initiative, but there is still much work to be done.”

According to the study, the global adult smoking rate was 23.7 percent in 2010. The author estimate that if no additional policies are set in place, global prevalence will continue to grow to 872 million smokers by 2030. However, if countries immediately implement MPOWER, the global smoking prevalence would fall to 523 million smokers by 2030.  

Matthew Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement that “No other public health measures have the potential to save so many lives in such a short time. These findings are a powerful reminder to governments that we know how to dramatically reduce tobacco use, the world’s number one cause of preventable death.”

Given that half of lifetime tobacco users are killed by tobacco-related sickness, these policies have the potential to save tens of millions of lives.

Read the full study [subscription required]

Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced that they would spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking.

The announcement was made at a joint news conference at TheTimesCenter in Midtown Manhattan attended by foundation staffers and foreign students enrolled in a tobacco control program at Johns Hopkins University that is supported by Mr. Bloomberg. He has campaigned against smoking for years, but this is a new direction for the Gates Foundation.

The $500 million would be spent on a multipronged campaign — nicknamed Mpower — that Mr. Bloomberg and Dr. Margaret Chan, director of the health organization, outlined in February. It coordinates efforts by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, the World Health Organization, the World Lung Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the foundation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.