Modelling shows that the European Region will have a relative reduction in rates between 2010 and 2025 of only 19%, in comparison with the target of the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020 of a 30% reduction in global prevalence (2), and is projected to have the highest prevalence rate of tobacco use globally by 2030, of just over 22%. The European Region is the only WHO region not expected to reach the female 30% relative reduction target by 2025. The reduction is exceptionally low among women at 12% – the target value needed is 13.7% or less by 2025 – while the projected prevalence sits at 17.3%...

What should be done?

• More countries should monitor all forms of tobacco use, including new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems, electronic non-nicotine delivery systems, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products.
• Countries are encouraged to use standardized protocols and questions in tobacco surveys to monitor key tobacco control indicators. Standardization ensures comparable data over time and across countries.
• Country capacity for preparing and implementing surveys and disseminating and using the data for the monitoring and evaluation of policy should be strengthened.
• Countries should integrate tobacco surveillance programmes into national, regional and global health surveillance programmes to ensure that data are comparable and can be analysed at regional and international levels, as appropriate (4).