Fewer than 25% of adults world-wide are now smokers, according to new figures released yesterday.
The world’s 1.2 billion smokers are now out-numbered by 3.9 billion non-smokers.
The World Health Organisation said the numbers of non-smokers is likely to grow in the next ten years, reaching 81% of adults and 6.1 billion people.
In spite of this the world is not on course to cut tobacco use by 30% as had been planned, a conference heard. Only 37 countries are set to
The figures were released at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi.
WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said: “In an ominous trend, in some countries the battle between tobacco and health has moved into the courts.
“Governments wishing to protect their citizens through larger pictorial warnings on cigarette packs or by introducing plain packaging are being intimidated by industry’s threats of lengthy and costly litigation. This is an effort to deprive governments of their sovereign right to legislate in the public interest.
"We will push back hard.”
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