Global agenda to end tobacco epidemic
Staff Reporter :
Boosting global public health, leaders from over 100 countries concluded the World Conference on Tobacco Control 2025 (WCTC2025) in Dublin on Thursday by adopting the historic Dublin Declaration, a five-point global action agenda to end the tobacco epidemic.
The declaration commits countries to increasing tobacco taxes to reduce affordability and fund health initiatives; holding the tobacco industry accountable and rejecting any partnerships with it; enforcing a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; addressing the environmental harms caused by tobacco production and waste; and uniting with civil society and global partners to uphold the right to health through comprehensive tobacco control, said a press release.
The declaration, hailed as a turning point in global tobacco control, outlines urgent and transformative measures to reduce tobacco use, confront industry interference, and safeguard public health and the environment.
Delegates-including policymakers, health experts, youth advocates, and civil society groups-gathered at the high-level conference to share evidence-based solutions and reaffirm their commitment to a tobacco-free future.
As the conference concluded, public health leaders emphasized the urgency of turning commitments into action. “The Dublin Declaration is not just a roadmap-it’s a call to moral and political courage,” said one high-level delegate. “We cannot allow another generation to fall prey to an industry that profits from death and disease.”
The conference underscored the critical role of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and called on all governments to fully implement and enforce its provisions.
Public health leaders now urge governments to act swiftly to turn this declaration into binding laws and enforceable actions.
As the world faces mounting health and climate challenges, the Dublin Declaration stands as a bold global commitment to put health before industry interests-and to build a tobacco-free generation.