People across Europe, Russia and Central Asia now make up the largest share of tobacco users per capita worldwide, and the World Health Organization says that is unlikely to change before 2030.
A 2025 WHO report finds not only cigarettes and cigars are fueling use but also nicotine in e-cigarettes and smokeless products such as chewing tobacco and nicotine pouches. WHO European Region Director Hans Henri Kluge warned the tobacco industry has been directly targeting young people with flavored products and sophisticated social media marketing, undermining regulatory efforts.
Who smokes in the European region?
– Among 13–15-year-olds in the WHO European Region: four million use tobacco products.
– One in seven in that age group use e-cigarettes — the highest rate of any WHO region.
– Girls in the region use tobacco at higher rates than girls elsewhere.
Kluge noted that some countries are pushing back. Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands have regulated novel products, banned flavors and tightened advertising restrictions, showing progress is possible.
Women and uneven progress
Female smokers have been slower to quit: roughly two in five of the world’s female smokers live in the European region. Overall progress is uneven, leaving gaps that allow tobacco to take hold in youth populations.
Until 2025 Southeast Asia held the highest tobacco use among WHO regions. That region reduced use by introducing health warning labels, smoke-free laws, in-school education and public role models. Europe’s response has been less consistent.
The WHO report highlights regulatory weaknesses in the European region:
– Only about one-third of countries have implemented smoke-free public-space laws.
– Only about a quarter offer national quit helplines, cost-free cessation services, or comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising.
– Tobacco prices are lower now than a decade ago in roughly two-thirds of European countries.
Health toll
Kluge said an estimated 1.1 million people in the European region die from tobacco-related diseases. The WHO warns that without stronger, more uniform measures — including flavor bans, advertising restrictions, higher prices and accessible cessation services — youth uptake and overall use will remain major public-health challenges.
Edited by Z Abbany