[Smoking and tobacco control : twenty years after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control]

Smoking is the world's leading cause of preventable death. It is a risk factor or aggravating cause of many diseases and health problems : cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infection, tuberculosis and environmental health effects. The socioeconomic costs of smoking, already exorbitant, are likely to become unsustainable for all countries, particularly developing countries, by 2050. Twenty years after the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), this article aims to take stock of the situation regarding smoking and tobacco control. Strengthening tobacco control policies, including support for smoking cessation, is more important than ever to curb the tobacco pandemic and its devastating consequences.