WHO Chief Warns of E-Cigarette Threat to Youth as COP11 Opens in Geneva

Key Points

• Date & Venue: November 17–22, 2025, Geneva, Switzerland
• Delegates: Over 1,400 representatives from 162 Parties, governments, and civil society
• Theme: “20 years of change – uniting generations for a tobacco-free future”
• Agenda Focus: Tobacco content regulation, nicotine addiction prevention, youth protection, environmental pollution, and illicit trade
• Tedros’ Remarks:

1. Schools are the new battleground in the fight against tobacco and nicotine;
2. Youth smoking has fallen by one-third globally, pushing companies to new products;
3. At least 15 million children aged 13–15 now use e-cigarettes;
4. Teen vaping rates are nine times higher than adult levels across 63 countries;
5. The tobacco industry’s goal is profit, not public health.

2Firsts — November 17, 2025 — The Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) opened in Geneva, bringing together over 1,400 delegates from 162 Parties to accelerate global tobacco control and combat rising nicotine addiction among youth.

In his opening address, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, warned that schools have become “the new front line of the war against tobacco and nicotine,” where companies are “actively recruiting a new generation of addicts.”

Tedros noted that over the past two decades, youth smoking has declined by one-third globally, prompting tobacco manufacturers to develop new products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to attract young consumers. “There is no evidence that these products benefit public health,” he said. “On the contrary, evidence of their harm is mounting.”

According to WHO data, at least 15 million children aged 13–15 worldwide use e-cigarettes, and in 63 countries with available data, youth vaping prevalence is on average nine times higher than among adults. Tedros emphasized that the industry’s motives are financial, not altruistic:

“Let’s be clear — these companies are not driven by harm reduction or public health. They are driven by profit for their shareholders.”

He urged all countries to regulate nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and smokeless tobacco products as strictly as conventional cigarettes, calling for restrictions on flavours, packaging, marketing, and sales, and enforcement of age limits.

COP11, themed “20 years of change – uniting generations for a tobacco-free future,” continues through November 22, addressing issues such as tobacco content regulation, liability, environmental protection, and prevention of nicotine addiction.

Andrew Black, Acting Head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat, welcomed delegates, saying COP11 offers an opportunity for collective progress in reducing tobacco use and protecting health worldwide.

A ministerial round table hosted by Belgium examined youth vaping and nicotine addiction amid widespread e-cigarette marketing, while the 2025 Global Progress Report on FCTC Implementation highlighted key challenges including insufficient funding, lack of staff, and industry interference.

Image source: WHO FCTC, France24