GENEVA, Switzerland – Southeast Asia has achieved the world’s steepest decline in tobacco use over the past decade and a half, according to new World Health Organization (WHO) data that shows the region’s smoking rates have dropped by about 40 percent since 2010.
The region, which once recorded the highest per-capita tobacco use globally, now ranks second behind Europe — which has overtaken it as the world’s most tobacco-addicted region.
At the turn of the century, more than half of Southeast Asians aged 15 and above used tobacco. Today, fewer than one in five people in the region consume tobacco, a remarkable turnaround for an area that accounts for a quarter of the world’s population.
“The reduction is remarkable, but it’s in line with what’s been observed in the rest of the world,” said Kamran Siddiqi, a professor of public health at the University of York in the UK.
Global Decline in Tobacco Use
Worldwide, there are now about 120 million fewer smokers than there were in 2010 — a 27 percent decline — driven largely by tighter tobacco control laws, higher taxes, health campaigns, and advertising restrictions.
The WHO had set a target in 2010 to cut global tobacco use by 30 percent within 15 years. Only three regions — Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas — are on track to meet that goal.
Despite the progress, about one in five people worldwide still use tobacco in some form, whether smoked or smokeless.
Tobacco continues to kill about seven million people annually, with an additional 1.6 million dying from exposure to secondhand smoke.
How Southeast Asia Turned the Tide
Experts credit the region’s success to sustained, multi-sector efforts. Governments have rolled out strict packaging laws, advertising bans, school-based education campaigns, and public awareness drives that discourage smoking.
“A lot of work has gone into it from stalwarts in the field,” said Dr. Ravi Mehrotra, founder of India’s Centre for Health Innovation and Policy Foundation. “Researchers, health professionals, politicians, and law enforcement have all played a part.”
Some countries have also adopted culturally specific strategies. India, for example, requires that any depiction of smoking in films or television include health warnings on-screen — a policy credited with discouraging youth uptake.
The decline in smoking has been driven mainly by men, who traditionally made up the majority of tobacco users. In 2000, 70 percent of men in Southeast Asia smoked or used tobacco; that figure has since halved.
Persistent Challenges
Despite the progress, Southeast Asia remains home to a quarter of the world’s tobacco users. The region continues to grapple with widespread use of smokeless tobacco products — including chewing tobacco and pouches — especially among men.
About one in seven adolescents aged 13–15 use electronic cigarettes, according to WHO estimates, compared with one in every 1,000 people across all age groups.
Monitoring remains a challenge, experts warn.
“Illicit and smokeless tobacco are still very common,” said Siddiqi. “We’d have liked to see even bigger progress if we had better control and understanding of these forms of use.”
Next Steps: Taxation and Plain Packaging
Public health experts say Southeast Asia’s next phase of tobacco control will depend on policies that have worked elsewhere — particularly higher taxes and plain packaging.
The WHO recommends that taxes make up at least 70 percent of the retail price of tobacco products.
Siddiqi and Mehrotra also urge tighter restrictions on “surrogate advertising,” where tobacco brands market through lifestyle products or sponsorships.
“Southeast Asia has shown that change is possible,” said Mehrotra. “Now the challenge is sustaining that momentum and addressing smokeless and illicit products that remain widespread.”
