A new one-year global campaign was launched today by the World Health Organisation to support at least 100 million people as they try to give up tobacco through communities of quitters.

The WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp [2] and publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco" [3]was released to mark the start of the campaign.

• Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
• Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
• Over 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.

COVID-19 has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit. The campaign will support at least 100 million people as they try to give up tobacco through communities of quitters. 

The campaign will also help create healthier environments that are conducive to quitting tobacco by advocating for strong tobacco cessation policies; increasing access to cessation services; raising awareness of tobacco industry tactics, and empowering tobacco users to make successful quit attempts through quit and win initiatives.

WHO, together with partners will create and build-up digital communities where people can find the social support they need to quit. The focus will be on high burden countries, where the majority of the world’s tobacco users live.

Quitting tobacco is challenging, especially with the added social and economic stresses that have come as a result of the pandemic. Worldwide around 780 million people say they want to quit, but only 30% of them have access to the tools that can help them do so.

Together with partners, WHO will provide people with the tools and resources they need to make a successful quit attempt.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said smoking kills eight million people a year, but if users need more motivation to kick the habit, the pandemic provides the right incentive.

In addition, WHO called on all governments to ensure their citizens have access to brief advice, toll-free quit lines, mobile and digital cessation services, nicotine replacement therapies and other tools that are proven to help people quit.

Strong cessation services improve health, save lives and save money.