20 million fewer people use tobacco in countries with the majority of the world’s smokers

New CDC data from the 11 countries that have 70% of the world’s smokers found that there were 20 million fewer smokers in 2017 than a decade prior. Here’s more: 

• Smoking incidence: Russia saw roughly a 9% decrease in the number of smokers between 2009-2016, while Turkey saw a 0.4% increase in smokers around a similar time period. 
• Secondhand smoke: Some 53 million fewer people were exposed to secondhand smoke, with nearly 25% fewer people in Russia being exposed. At the same time, 13% more people in Thailand were exposed in 2011 than in 2009. 
• Thoughts about quitting: The number of people thinking about quitting due to warning labels increased by more than 12 million during the decade. India saw the highest increase in this group, while Vietnam saw a decrease in people thinking about quitting.