« Death Clock » : remembering those who have died from smoking

Screenshot of the “Death clock” on November 24, 2025, at 11:50 a.m.

At COP11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) last November, the OxySuisse association presented the “Death Clock,” which counts the number of people who have died from smoking-related diseases since 1999, the year work began on the FCTC.

155 million. That is the number of premature deaths caused by active and passive smoking displayed on the Death Clock today. This counter tallies the deaths that have occurred since October 25, 1999, the date of the first meeting of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control working group. This total already represents more than twice the number of victims of World War II.

In coordination with the main NGOs present at COP11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (including the Global Alliance on Tobacco Control, the European Network for Smoking Prevention, and Corporate Accountability), the OxySuisse association exhibited the “Death Clock” at the Geneva International Conference Center from November 17 to 22. Every 4.5 seconds, the clock increments by one, symbolizing a new tobacco-related death. This calculation is based on official WHO estimates.

Reiterate the importance of combating the tobacco industry

At the unveiling ceremony for the Death Clock on Monday, November 17, COP11 President Dr. Reina Roa of Panama emphasized the need to do everything possible to stop the terrible ticking of the Death Clock as soon as possible. All regional representatives of the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control, as well as young activists, including members of the Global Youth Voices movement, laid a rose at the foot of the Death Clock. They also pledged to continue all necessary efforts to end the scourges of smoking and nicotine addiction, including by opposing the industry that fuels them.

Placed in the lobby of the Geneva International Conference Center, the Death Clock made its presence felt by reminding delegates every day of the week of the stakes involved in their negotiations. Indeed, all future smoking-related deaths could be prevented if much stricter measures were implemented against the tobacco industry.

A tool developed by OxySuisse in 2000

The Death Clock has been in use since the beginning of negotiations for the WHO Framework Convention. In 2000, at the first meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating group to draft the WHO treaty, it stood at 3.9 million deaths. You can view it at any time by following this link: https://oxysuisse.ch/deathclock/

To stop the numbers on the “Death Clock” from climbing at such a dizzying pace, join us in the fight against this deadly and manipulative industry, which continues to play with our lives and those of our children.

Dr. Reina Roa, Panama, President of COP11, with Pascal Diethelm, President of OxySuisse, at the unveiling ceremony for the Death Clock, 17.11.2025. © Copyright World Health Organization (WHO), 2025. All Rights Reserved.

Unveiling of the Death Clock by Leslie Rae Ferrat, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC), and Pascal Diethelm, President of OxySuisse, November 17, 2025. © Copyright World Health Organization (WHO), 2025. All Rights Reserved.