Objective. The present study quantifies the impact of the FCTC negotiation process on the global diffusion of domestic tobacco control policies. Methods. Country characteristics, including income, population, region, democracy, tobacco production, smoking prevalence and network participation were analyzed to determine their effects on the frequency, type and strength of tobacco control policy adoption among WHO Member States. Bivariate analyses were conducted for each country characteristic and used to compare the frequency and strength of control policies adopted between pre-negotiation and negotiation periods. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine the predictive nature of these variables. Findings. The frequency of policy adoption escalated between 2002 and 2003, the years in which the FCTC negotiations were most intense. The strength of policies adopted also shifted significantly towards policies promoted by WHO. The average strength of policies adopted varied significantly with population size, region, democracy levels and network participation. All characteristics, with the exception of total and male smoking prevalence, were significantly associated with the number of policy types adopted.