Dublin, Ireland (Enmaeya News) — The recent World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) that took place in Dublin will influence four big international meetings later in 2025. The conference talked about important issues like funding, plastic pollution, diseases, and tobacco rules.

The first meeting, the Financing for Development (FfD4) conference, begins today in Seville, Spain. Delegates want to include tobacco taxes more as a way for countries to raise money. The WCTC showed that raising tobacco prices by 10% can lower smoking by 4 to 5% and bring in more government funds.

Supporters want FfD4 leaders to officially accept tobacco taxes as a “non-distortionary, health-promoting financing tool.”

In August, Geneva will hold the next round of talks on the UN Plastics Treaty (INC-5.2). Cigarette butts — the most littered single-use plastic — will be a main topic. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Netherlands, and Belgium want to ban cigarette filters. Others want action on disposable vapes.

WCTC members said it’s important to include the WHO tobacco rules (FCTC) in plastics policies to stop the tobacco industry from interfering.

In September, attention will turn to the UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in New York. The Dublin conference showed tobacco is linked to mental health problems, especially for young people.

Delegates want a political statement that “explicitly connects tobacco control with mental health policy,” pushing for taxes, prevention, and responsibility in fighting diseases.

The year will end in November with the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO tobacco treaty in Geneva. Important topics include holding the tobacco industry responsible (Article 19) and improving tobacco rules (Article 2.1), like product limits and protecting the environment.

The progress made in Dublin, especially on youth programs, environmental effects, and taxes, will help guide the COP11 talks.