Health ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia adopted a WHO/Europe-backed declaration committing to strengthening tobacco control across the Western Balkans. The agreement calls for comprehensive smoke-free laws covering indoor public places, workplaces, and public transportation, along with stronger enforcement, public education, improved monitoring, and measures to shield tobacco control policies from industry influence. The declaration aims to reduce the region’s high tobacco use rates, where adult smoking prevalence ranged from 21% to 40% in 2024.
