Tobacco use should be avoided entirely. All people who use tobacco should be supported to quit through evidence-based behavioural and pharmacological cessation interventions, and all people should be protected from exposure to tobacco smoke, in line with WHO guidance. Clinical practice: y WHO clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults (19) Service delivery and care pathways: y Strengthening health systems for treating tobacco dependence in primary care to enhance skills and integrate evidence-based cessation practices into routine care (20) y WHO package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care (11) Public health and policy: y Tackling NCDs: best buys and other recommended interventions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (12)

y There is no safe level of tobacco use in relation to general health or dementia. y Tobacco cessation interventions should align with WHO’s clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults (78) and be embedded in broader population-level strategies and national tobacco control programmes. y Tobacco cessation programmes should be integrated into dementia risk reduction strategies and tailored to primary care settings for maximum impact. y It is important to build capacity among health care providers by using the WHO training package to enhance skills and integrate evidencebased cessation practices into routine care (79). y There should be an increase in screening and counselling for tobacco cessation within primary care settings, focusing particularly on adults aged 35–65 years, as part of dementia risk reduction strategies. y Cessation services should be integrated into NCD and mental health platforms, to enhance accessibility, maximize reach and improve sustainability. y Implementation should address barriers (e.g. limited provider capacity, lack of awareness and stigma), while ensuring that services are accessible and sustainable. y Public health messages should be developed that highlight the benefits of early cessation; they should emphasize that quitting sooner provides greater protection against dementia, while reinforcing that cessation at any stage remains beneficial. y Population-level interventions (e.g. taxation, advertising bans, graphic health warnings, smoke-free laws and public education campaigns) should complement individual-level strategies (9).