WHO and STOP Report: Targeting Youth in Tobacco Industry

According to a report released on the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 23, WHO and the global tobacco industry watchdog organization "STOP" have released a report called "Attracting the Next Generation," revealing how the tobacco and nicotine industry design products, implement marketing activities, and strive to shape policy environments in order to attract young people worldwide.

The event was launched on World No Tobacco Day (May 31st), and the World Health Organization took the opportunity to call on governments to protect their citizens from the interference of the tobacco and nicotine industry.

The report highlights that approximately 37 million adolescents aged 13-15 are smoking globally, with many countries reporting higher rates of e-cigarette use among teenagers than adults. In the European region of the World Health Organization, 20% of 15-year-olds reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use, the emergence of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco and nicotine products poses a serious threat to youth and tobacco control. Research shows that e-cigarette use can triple the likelihood of traditional cigarette use, especially among non-smoking adolescents.

Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated:

History is repeating itself as the tobacco industry attempts to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging. These industries are actively targeting schools, children, and adolescents with new products that are essentially candy-flavored traps. How can they talk about harm reduction when they are actively marketing these dangerous and highly addictive products to children?

WHO emphasizes that these industries continue to use flavors such as candy and fruit to attract young people to promote their products. Research in the United States has found that if e-cigarette products have only tobacco flavor, more than 70% of teenage e-cigarette users would choose to quit smoking.

The World Health Organization is urging governments to ban or strictly regulate tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other nicotine products to protect young people from harm. WHO's recommendations include establishing 100% smoke-free indoor public places, banning flavored e-cigarettes, prohibiting marketing, advertising, and promotion, increasing taxes, raising awareness of deceptive practices by the tobacco industry, and supporting youth-led education and advocacy efforts.

Director of the Department of Health Promotion at the World Health Organization, Ruediger Krech, stated:

These industries intentionally design their products and use marketing strategies that directly appeal to children. They utilize flavors such as cotton candy and bubble gum, which are popular among children, along with flashy designs that closely resemble toys. It is evident that they aim to hook young people on these harmful products.

STOP's director, George Alday, stated:

For the tobacco industry, addicted teenagers represent a lifetime of profits. That is why they aggressively lobby to create an environment where teenagers are cheap, appealing, and easy to get addicted to tobacco. If policymakers do not take action, the current and future generations may face a new wave of harm, including addiction to many tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes.

Global youth advocates are resisting the destructive impact and manipulative marketing tactics of the tobacco and nicotine industry. They are exposing these fraudulent behaviors and speaking out for their smoke-free future. Youth organizations from around the world participated in the latest meeting of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP10), sending a strong message to policymakers: "The future generation will remember you, either for protecting them or for failing them and putting them at risk.

In addition, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recognized several youth organizations at the 2024 World No Tobacco Day Awards: Thailand Youth Institute, Tobacco Abstinence Club in Nigeria, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in Argentina.