WHO will launch the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2011, the third in a series of periodic reports about the extent and character of the epidemic and measures to stop it. The report will present the latest global and country data on the prevalence of tobacco use and on the impact of the package of demand-reduction measures known by their acronym MPOWER.

The report will have a particular focus on the importance of large, graphic health warnings on tobacco packages and of anti-tobacco mass media campaigns.

This year, the tobacco epidemic will kill nearly 6 million people. More than 5 million of them will be users and ex users of smoked and smokeless tobacco and more than 600 000 will be nonsmokers who were exposed to tobacco smoke. By 2030, the epidemic could kill 8 million.

The launch will take place at 11 a.m. (Montevideo time) in the Torre de las Comunicaciones, Sala Interactiva, Guatemala s/n esquina Paraguay, Montevideo.

Participants at the launch will include Uruguayan Health Minister Daniel Olesker and WHO Tobacco Free Initiative Director Dr Douglas Bettcher.

For more information, please contact: Dr Kerstin Schotte, schottek@who.int, or Mr Timothy O'Leary, olearyt@who.int.