Global cigarette consumption has been rising steadily since James Bonsack invented the first cigarette-rolling machine in 1881. But the 1960s, the incontrovertible health consequences of smoking had become apparent and, in some countries, consumption began leveling off and even decreasing. Worldwide, however, more people are smoking cigarette, and each smoker is consuming a greater number of cigarettes. Cigarettes account for the largest share of manufactured tobacco products ( 96 percent of total value sales) but widespread consumption of chewing tobacco and bids is also escalating, especially in South Asia.

The total number of smokers is increasing mainly due to expansion of the world’s population; by 2030, there will be at least another 2 billion people. Unless smoking prevalence rates decline dramatically, the absolute number of smokers will increase. The expected continuing decrease in male smoking prevalence also may be offset, in part,by a potentially dangerous increase in female smoking rates, especially in developing countries.
Tobacco companies are producing 5.6 trillions cigarettes per year – nearly 900 cigarettes per year for every man, woman, and child on the planet. The escalating consumption of these tobacco products has created an unprecedented global public health emergency, a pandemic of epic proportions.