About the Tobacco Control Program

The Tobacco Control team works to help reduce the burden of disease, death, and economic consequences caused by tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke in the Americas Region.  Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world today. As tobacco use continues to rise in many parts of the world, it becomes increasingly more important that governments working jointly with civil society implement the mandates of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to protect their citizens from tobacco and educate them about the dangers associated with its use.

Tobacco Facts

  • Tobacco kills 6 million people every year (5.4 million active smokers and 600,000 non smokers exposed to second hand smoke), including 1 million in the Americas
  • Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills up to half of its users when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer
  • Half of all long-term smokers will die from a tobacco-caused disease, losing around 10-15 years of life

Tobacco costs the global economy US$200 billion every year