FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Worldwide Anti-Smoking Policies Charted in Comprehensive Index
Brussels, Belgium (April 3, 2024) — We Are Innovation (WAI), a leading global innovation network, released the 2024 Effective Anti-Smoking Policies Global Index. The index assesses around 5.5 billion people, nearly 70 percent of the world’s estimated 8 billion population. This broad coverage offers a thorough and representative analysis of the public policies to eradicate smoking in 69 countries across four regions. Evaluating a range of eleven categories, the Index delves into the intricacies of innovative Non-Combusted Nicotine Products (NCNPs), scrutinizing aspects such as regulatory frameworks, prohibitions, taxation, and governmental measures for switching from traditional smoking.
The 2024 release of the Effective Anti-Smoking Policies Global Index suggests several noteworthy updates and changes, distinguishing it from its 2022 predecessor. One of the most significant expansions in this year’s index is including 11 new countries, broadening the scope and depth of the analysis. These additions include a diverse range of nations, each with its unique stance on tobacco control and regulation of nicotine products. The newcomers are China, Finland, India, Norway, Qatar, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Vietnam.
Analyzing the top and bottom countries in the rankings provides a clear contrast in their approaches to smoking control and regulation of nicotine products. These distinctions offer insightful lessons for other nations in developing their anti-smoking policies.
The top 20 countries in the global anti-smoking index, including the UK, Sweden, Slovakia, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Lebanon, Greece, the USA, Spain, New Zealand, Romania, Italy, France, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Croatia, and Austria, collectively impact almost 1 billion people worldwide. European nations dominate the list, with 15 out of the 20 spots occupied by countries from this region. However, non-European nations like the USA, Lebanon, New Zealand, Canada, and Saudi Arabia also make significant strides in terms of regulations.
In China, regulatory policy ranks near the bottom at 51st globally, with bans on Tobacco Heated Products (THPs) and nicotine pouches while heavily restricting vaping and snus. India mirrors China as a smoking-saturated emerging economy rhetorically committed to public health yet scored last globally for completely prohibiting all tobacco alternatives. In addition to forgoing harm reduction benefits, the blanket ban fuels illicit trade, fulfilling smoker demand.
The index emphasizes the urgent need for global advancements in anti-smoking policies, as the majority of the world’s population resides in countries where such policies still need improvement. Finding a balance between traditional measures and innovative approaches, including alternative nicotine products, is key to success. WAI’s index calls for a holistic approach encompassing a wide range of products to address the gaps in comprehensive innovation support.
Among non-combustible nicotine alternatives, regulatory policies differ radically in receptiveness, with vaping facing the harshest worldwide sales bans despite evidence supporting its harm reduction potential. A full seventeen countries prohibit vaping sales entirely, a restrictive policy stance not mirrored across smokeless products like snus or nicotine pouches, which largely evade bans even as unfamiliar entrants. Only heated tobacco policies show regional bifurcation patterns similar to vaping. Thirteen countries impose outright bans on THP sales, concentrated in parts of South America and Asia. Snus faces widespread prohibitions in the European Union, except in Sweden. Swedish scores are the highest in Scandinavian countries for tobacco alternatives, such as vaping and nicotine pouches, alongside a traditionally strong presence of snus.
In the Americas, Canada and the United States are open to vaping and smoking alternatives, while Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay ban these products. New Zealand leads in vaping in the Asia Pacific, while Australia, India, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam have banned it. Japan is the frontrunner for THPs and snus. In the MENA region, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have progressive harm reduction stances, while other countries prohibit these alternatives. Nicotine pouches have avoided significant regulatory scrutiny, but their growth potential depends on gaining recognition for health merits outside of the EU and the US.
“With over 8 million lives lost annually to smoking-related diseases, the need for effective anti-smoking measures is more urgent than ever. Nations like Sweden and New Zealand are leading the way by embracing innovative nicotine products in the fight against combustible tobacco. Their public policies allowing alternatives have yielded remarkable results, with smoking rates around 5 percent – nearly smoke-free. This success highlights the vital role innovation must play in consigning smoking to history. Policymakers worldwide must follow the example set by these countries, fully harnessing safer products to uproot smoking’s devastating toll on global health,” stated Federico N. Fernandez, the CEO of We Are Innovation.
Smoking has long been recognized as one of the leading causes of preventable diseases and premature deaths worldwide. With over 8 million lives lost each year, the need for effective anti-smoking measures has never been more urgent.
The Anti-Smoking Index is accessible at https://antismoking.global/. The Index will be updated annually to reflect the most recent data, allowing countries to track their progress over time and identify areas for improvement.
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ABOUT WE ARE INNOVATION
We Are Innovation is a dynamic network of individuals and institutions who fervently believe in the power of innovation to drive progress and solve the world’s most pressing problems. With a global presence encompassing over 40 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs, We Are Innovation represents the diverse voices of a global civil society committed to advancing human creativity, embracing new technologies, and promoting innovative solutions. Through our collaborative approach and cutting-edge expertise, we are spearheading transformative change on a global scale. To learn more about our work, visit us at https://weareinnovation.global/.
