At least 40 million 13- to 15-year-old children worldwide use tobacco products, and youth use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches continues to increase. Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments around the world to protect new generations from addiction to tobacco and nicotine products.
The WHO warns that tobacco and nicotine companies are deliberately designing their products to be more attractive, easier to use and harder to quit, especially for adolescents and young adults.
Even as cigarettes continue to kill millions of people, major tobacco companies are reinventing their business models and aggressively promoting flavored e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other nicotine products aimed at appealing to the next generation while continuing to profit from deadly cigarettes. ”
Dr Etienne Krug, Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention, WHO
Nicotine, especially at high concentrations, is highly addictive and harmful, especially to children, adolescents, and young adults whose brains are still developing.
Governments can protect people by banning flavored products, banning advertising, promotions and sponsorships, completely banning smoking in indoor public places and increasing enforcement.
The WHO recently warned that nicotine pouches, one of the fastest growing nicotine products on the market, are being aggressively promoted through social media influencers using lifestyle branding and flavors that appeal to young people.
The nicotine pouch report found that despite rapidly growing sales around the world, around 160 countries still have no specific regulations for nicotine pouches, leaving millions of people unprotected. Bright packaging, candy-like flavors, and influencer campaigns are the same tactics used for other nicotine products, with the main goal being to create addiction to these harmful products.
Governments and organizations that make a difference
Governments at the national and local levels play an important role in regulating these products. One example is the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which has emerged as a prime example of community action to combat nicotine use and protect young people from addiction. The city has stepped up its crackdown on e-cigarette sales and advertising, conducting hundreds of systematic inspections to ensure compliance with ban, anti-smoking and e-cigarette laws. It also launched a major public awareness campaign and strengthened anti-smoking laws to explicitly include all tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes.
On May 19, the WHO recognized leaders around the world who are taking bold action to counter increasingly sophisticated industry strategies to attract young people. WHO recognizes all 2026 World No Tobacco Day Award winners for their outstanding contributions to tobacco control.
Tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths each year. It remains one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide and is associated with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and more than 20 different types or subtypes of cancer.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 31 encouraged the world’s more than 1 billion tobacco, e-cigarette and nicotine pouch users to take the first step towards quitting smoking and ending addiction.
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