Tobacco marketing increases cigarette consumption and seduces new smokers into addiction, negating public health efforts to control tobacco. Recognizing this, many countries have imposed some restrictions on tobacco marketing. However, partial restrictions are ineffective in reducing smoking because tobacco companies redirect their marketing efforts to available venues. Voluntary agreements are also inadequate because they are unenforceable.

In the face of broadening advertising bans, tobacco companies have become ever more creative in their attempts to lure new consumers into addiction. Brand stretching, event promotion, retailer incentives, sponsorship and advertising through international media, cross-border advertising, and promotional packaging are some of the ways that the tobacco industry circumvents advertising bans.

Only comprehensive official bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, marketing, sponsorship, and promotion are effective at reducing population smoking rates. Parents also can do their part at the individual level by protecting children from exposure to depictions of smoking in movies. Parental restrictions and parental nonsmoking strongly predict lower risk of smoking initiation among youth.

Upon ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), countries must implement a comprehensive advertising ban within five years.

Comprehensive advertising bans can reduce smoking rates by 6 percent per year.

Advertising bans may be even more effective in low- and middle-resource countries than in highresource countries.

Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
Protect people from tobacco smoke
Offer help to quit tobacco use
Warn about the dangers of tobacco
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Raise taxes on tobacco

Building on the first-ever global public health treaty - the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) - the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2008 issued a comprehensive country-level report on the global tobacco epidemic. This report provides data from 179 countries covering 99% of the world’s population and sets baselines for implementation and enforcement of the six evidence-based and cost-effective policies of the WHO MPOWER strategy. Currently only 5% of the world’s population is fully protected by any one of the MPOWER interventions and no country implements and enforces all of them. By taking action to implement MPOWER, the leaders of governments and civil society can create the necessary environment to protect children from tobacco, help people quit tobacco use and save millions of lives a year.

The final version of the online Tobacco Atlas will have information on MPOWER steps related to the issues portrayed on each map.