WHO report highlights health challenges of smokeless tobacco

www.euro.who.int 

WHO has published a new report on the use of smokeless tobacco. The issue presents a complex and widespread challenge to public health, yet receives little attention globally.

The report gives an overview of smokeless tobacco use. In particular, it focuses on the use of nasvay in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Nasvay is a type of smokeless tobacco for oral use, which is produced and used mostly in central Asian countries.

The report provides a description of nasvay and addresses a variety of topics, such as its distribution, health effects and prevalence, along with the regulatory approaches applied in CIS countries.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) requires Parties to protect human health by taking measures aimed at preventing and reducing the consumption of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. Full implementation of the WHO FCTC is crucial to stopping tobacco from causing illness and death, and realizing the future vision of a tobacco-free Europe.