WHO warns of rising youth tobacco use on World No Tobacco Day
At least 40m children aged 13-15 use tobacco, with e-cigarette pouch use rising as 160 countries lack regulations urging governments to ban flavours and ads.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) marked World No Tobacco Day on 31 May with a strong call on governments to shield young people from addictive tobacco and nicotine products, after highlighting how industry tactics continue to target the next generation.
WHO warned that tobacco and nicotine companies are deliberately engineering products to make them more appealing, easier to use and harder to quit, particularly for adolescents and young people whose brains are still developing.
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“Even as tobacco continues to kill millions of people, major tobacco companies are reinventing their business model, continuing to profit from deadly cigarettes while aggressively pushing flavoured e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other nicotine products aimed at hooking the next generation,” said Dr Etienne Krug, director of the Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at WHO.
Nicotine is highly addictive and especially harmful at high concentrations for children, adolescents and young adults.
The organisation noted nicotine pouches as one of the fastest-growing products, aggressively promoted through social media influencers, lifestyle branding and candy-like flavours using the same strategies as other nicotine items to create addiction.
About 160 countries still have no specific regulations for nicotine pouches despite rapidly growing sales worldwide, leaving millions unprotected.
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Governments were urged to protect citizens by banning flavoured products, prohibiting advertising, promotion and sponsorship, making all indoor public places completely smoke- and vape-free, and stepping up enforcement.
On 19 May, WHO presented the 2026 World No Tobacco Day Awards to leaders for their bold contributions to tobacco control and efforts to counter industry tactics aimed at young people.
Tobacco use kills more than seven million people every year and remains one of the leading causes of preventable death globally, linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and more than 20 different types or subtypes of cancer.
WHO encouraged the world’s more than one billion tobacco, e-cigarette and nicotine pouch users to take the first step toward quitting and break free from addiction on World No Tobacco Day.
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